Pitter Patter: Footsteps to Love
by AssassinedAngel
Summary: Yukiru. A collection of oneshots and extras for "The Result." Genre, rating, and length vary. Fluff to angst. Updated randomly. Chapter 32: Kidnapped! -There's blood, and Tohru's missing. Yuki can only conclude that she's been kidnapped, leaving Tohru embarrassed and her two friends amused. Featuring an adorably ignorant Yuki.
1. Sneaking Past the Curse from Behind

**A Collection of Random bits and pieces of writing C: Sorry. Not as cute as SilverYouko300's :c **

Title: Sneaking Past the Curse from Behind

Summary: Tohru has an idea of how to get an embrace from the Prince without a transformation.

Genre: Romance / Friendship

Rating: K

Word Count: 1,425

Tohru cautiously peeked out from behind the paper door, barely showing her large blue eyes as she stole a glance at her silver haired housemate. She ducked back before he even realized she was there. She got the indication that he knew he was being watched by his frequent fidgets and looks over his shoulder, but he must have dismissed it as harmless, seeing as he made no move to inspect. He continued with the assignment he had laid out on the table, staring at his textbook with distant eyes as he tried to focus on studying for their test on Monday. Tohru was supposed to be sitting there with him, since he was supposedly helping her with her homework, but she had been unable to sit still beside him since this morning, when _that _idea had struck her.

It was supposed to be a harmless suggestion that she had already convinced herself was to help him, not to let her indulge in the warm feeling of having his arms around her… without his transformation into a mouse.

She had meant to bring it up innocently at breakfast. Really. But… it was too embarrassing, and now she couldn't even look him in the eye without flushing and running away to hide her embarrassment. Currently, she was on a "bathroom break" and had been on one for the past ten minutes. She knew he was worried by how the creases across his forehead deepened with each passing minute, but she couldn't bring herself to show herself. Nope. Definitely not with his frequent inquiries about her health, specifically concerning what seemed like her permanently red stained skin.

"Honda-san, are you feeling all right? You've been in… there for quite some time now," Yuki called out vaguely, trying not to humiliate her.

Great. Now he thought she was sick for another reason.

"Ah! No! I'm fine! Don't worry, Yuki-kun!" she cried as she scrambled out of her hiding place in what she hoped was a graceful fashion.

This time he did peer behind him as she scurried unceremoniously back to her spot at the dining room table beside him. Upon reaching her seat, she just had to slip on the cushion and topple on top of him with her arms flailing and her mouth gaping. Whether out of instinct or concern she never knew but he stuck out his arms to catch her, letting their torsos touch as he caught her, only to remember the curse and poof into a mouse a second later, buried under his clothes and a fallen Tohru beside him.

After he had dug himself out of the snare of his clothes, Yuki crawled over to Tohru, full of concern. She seemed fine, but she appeared to have grazed her cheek against the table. Her skin was darkening, sure to bruise later. Yuki crept up to her, almost shyly, placing his paws on her outstretched arm. She didn't stir. Worriedly, he climbed up her arm, making his way up until he was close to her face. Tohru twitched, mumbling something incoherent before flipping over and nearly crushing him. Yuki took a deep breath before approaching the girl warily.

"Honda-san! Honda-san!" he called anxiously.

"Uhhh…" she groaned momentarily before she sat up and rubbed her eyes as if she had just awoken from a deep slumber, "Yuki-kun? Where are you?"

"Right here, Honda-san," Yuki announced, pressing his nose against her hand to get her attention.

Tohru blinked, staring at the light gray mouse before her with curious eyes before blushing and scooping him up in her hands apologetically. She lifted him up towards her face, stroking the top of his head gently. The most heartwarming smile crossed her face, and Yuki was immediately grateful his silver fur hid the pink tint he was sure had just flooded his face. Tohru slowly sat back up, cradling him carefully in her hands before setting him on table edge in fear she'd drop the poor rat. She kept her index finger extended towards him and leaned in close to him.

"Sorry, Yuki-kun! I didn't mean to," she murmured sadly.

"It's all right. Don't worry about it… But more importantly, are you hurt at all, Honda-san?" he asked, placing his paws ever so gingerly on her injured cheek.

"Yes! I'm perfectly fine! Not injured at all!" she tried to laugh it off.

She only managed to get out a couple of awkward chuckles before a strangled scream escaped her lips as a second poof sounded and gray smoke filled the room. Tohru whirled around as quickly as she could, winding up sprawled across the floor again with her eyes squeezed tightly shut while Yuki rapidly gathered his clothes and slipped into them as quickly as he could. As he finished buttoning up his shirt, Yuki could tell his cheeks were still inflamed, but hopefully now he could pass it off as humiliation over his transformation.

Glancing back at Tohru, he realized he didn't even need to fuss over that. Tohru wasn't even paying attention to him. She was seated with her head in between her knees, trying unsuccessfully to hide the scarlet tone across her face as she mumbled unintelligible words to herself. Completely absorbed in her task, Tohru was completely unaware of him as he approached her, tilted his head to the side, and watched her. She didn't even move until he had placed his hand on her shoulder, and then, she jumped up and nearly broke his jaw with her head.

"Yuki-kun!!!" she exclaimed, startled, before recomposing herself, "Um… Let's get back to work!"

Yuki nodded, reaching out his hand to touch her cheek that was currently turning purple but dropped it last minute, too timid to act. Shyly, the couple sat down in their previous spots at the table, both staring at the thick text book, and neither making any sense of the text they were both pretending to be absorbed in. Tohru was the first to let her gaze drift from the boring equations in the book. She peered at him for a while, an action that unnerved him, regardless of his unbroken, stoic pose, before she dared to bring up the idea from this morning.

"Ummm… Yuki-kun?" she started uncertainly.

"Yes?" he replied, a bit nervously.

"You transform when your chest touches the chest of a female, right?"

Yuki nodded, "I thought you knew that already…? And you just had a perfect demonstration."

Tohru looked away meekly with a sheepish smile before sucking in a deep breath and continuing.

"Can I try something?" she asked.

"Sure…?" he answered questioningly.

"You might transform," she warned.

He stared at her, unfazed but confused. She took this as a sign of approval. Nervously, she bunched the edge of her shirt up in her fists before eyeing him with a look of determination. She gave a soft _huff_ before gesturing to him to turn around. He obeyed willingly but did glance over his shoulder to give her a quizzical look that she brushed off timidly. For the first few minutes, all she could manage to do was stare at his back. Then, ever so slowly, she hesitantly put her hand against his back. She could feel a shiver run down his back.

Taking a deep breath, she pressed forward, drawing herself closer to him as her arms slid around his midriff. She locked her hands around his abdomen loosely, keeping her torso a few inches from his back before she squeezed her eyes shut and closed the distance between them. Tohru squeezed her arms tightly around him, ready to catch a mouse if he transformed, but after she counted to five and nothing happened, she let out a breath of relief.

"It worked!" she gasped, unable to mask any of her shock or delight.

She nearly hopped up in pure joy to go do some embarrassing dance, but his hands had caught hold of her wrists, holding her there as his arms slowly covered hers. Tohru leaned against his back with a grin, holding him contently as his warm fingers gratefully grazed her skin.

"… So this is a hug… Backwards… But nevertheless… It's quite n-nice," he fumbled for words awkwardly.

"Honda-san… Thank you…" he finished with a faint smile.

Tohru nodded with tears nearly brimming in her eyes, embracing him jubilantly.

Well… While she was feeling courageous… There was still that confession she could get to…

**I'm not dead C: AND I KNOW TORSO CAN INCLUDE BACK D: But shhh :c **


	2. The Result Extra: Week 144

Leaning against the wall, Uo watched Emi, who was currently sitting in the corner of the room with a basket of flowers on her lap. Emi had obviously been chosen to be the flower girl at Yuki and Tohru's wedding, but from the looks of it, the young girl didn't place much importance on this momentous occasion from the way she was acting. Uo laughed as Emi pulled a flower petal out of her mouth, leaving a trail of floral blood trickling down her lips. The two-year-old peered at the fading colors on the formerly red petal before innocently tossing it back into her wooden basket and selecting a new petal. She placed it into her mouth curiously, nibbling on it before spitting it back. Despite her clear indifference to the taste, Emi grabbed a fistful of the flowers and attempted to fit them all into the small crevice. Giggling as her attempt failed, Emi let the petals flutter to the ground, not bothering to collect the ones that missed the target.

Walking by, Yuki groaned when he spotted that Emi had been using flowers as makeshift lipstick. With a deep sigh, he trod over and swept her up into his arms, shaking his head when she laughed and swung the basket around playfully. Trying to keep the red stains from seeping onto his tuxedo, he held her a few inches from himself, but he had to give this up when he noticed a petal stuck to the corner of her mouth. Settling her against his chest with one arm, he used his free one to pluck the flower off her face and wipe as much of the botanic fluid from her skin as he could.

Yuki turned around to head for the sink in the dressing room he had exited a few minutes ago, but before he could even come within a foot of the door, Hana appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, in front of the door, blocking his exit with her arms folded firmly across her chest. The ominous look Yuki received from her made him retreat a few steps while Emi cheerfully flopped her stained hands at Hana in a partial wave. Hana smiled dearly at the child, patting her on the head, before resuming her glowering at Yuki.

"No seeing the bride before the ceremony. It's bad luck," Hana warned him.

"But- Hanajima-san…" Yuki muttered before sighing and pointing at Emi for an explanation.

"Bad luck," she repeated gravely.

"Baaaa wuuk!" Emi chimed in with glee.

"Would you help her get cleaned up then, Hanajima-san?" Yuki inquired, exasperated, watching Emi shove her fist into her mouth.

"I charge one thousand yen," Hana replied, extending her hand.

"I don't have-" Yuki started before giving in, "Oh fine. Here."

He reached into his pocket and fished out the amount she requested. Only after she had pocketed the money would she receive Emi. Hana opened the door a crack and sent him another threatening glare before she slipped through it. After Hana was inside for five seconds, Yuki heard Tohru muffle a scream. He assumed Emi's flower eating adventure was the cause. He could tolerate that, but when he heard a crash that sounded very much like Tohru falling to the ground, Yuki almost burst through the forbidden door, only to be yanked back by Kagura and Uo. They pushed him away before slipping into the room themselves to check on Tohru, making sure to lock the door behind them. Yuki scowled at the door, considering breaking it down.

When they finally returned, Yuki nearly jumped on them for answers, but seeing Emi trot out of there happy and unharmed, he assumed nothing had gone wrong. Emi latched herself to his leg with a giggle. Upon seeing her, Yuki tilted her chin up, inspecting her now clean face. As if Emi knew what he was doing, Emi wiped her face against his pants. With a slight shake of his head, Yuki patted her head and wiped a trail of drool from Emi's chin. She scowled at him as he did so and fluttered away, running off to get her flower basket back from Uo, who had taken it from her while she was getting cleaned up.

Yuki grimaced, chasing after her and locking her in his arms before she reached her botanic snack again. Emi wiggled about in vain, reaching for her petals, but Yuki easily distracted her with her stuffed mouse. She soon made a game of dropping the plush rat and making Yuki bend over and pick it up repeatedly. He sighed but kept at it, preferring to torture himself and the battered toy rather than risking a repeat of the previous mess.

It was only a little while anyways, until Akira wandered over and took Emi's hand, dragging the reluctant girl over to the door. Realizing that the wedding was only minutes away from commencing, Yuki rushed out to position himself at the altar after kissing Emi on top of her head in attempt to coax her into being more docile. Emi pouted at him and stomped her feet, but her temper tantrum soon faded when her father left. The tears that began to well up in her eyes only vanished when the basket of flowers was returned to her.

Then the music started and the two of them were ushered out.

A heartwarming smile spread across the faces of every occupant in the room as the large, arched, double doors opened to let Emi and Akira through. Emi, in her light pink dress, walked slowly with her eyes on the ground, simpering shyly as she tossed a few flowers around. Dressed in a tiny two piece suit, Akira walked beside her with a white pillow baring two rings and his arm linked with Emi's free one. He seemed to be guiding Emi along since she kept her eyes averted, but when he tugged a bit too suddenly, he managed to make her stumble and lift her eyes.

The first thing she noticed was her father, standing about twenty feet away, clad in black. Forgetting about the people around her and discarding her role in the wedding, Emi broke out of Akira's hold and darted over to Yuki as quickly as she could without tripping. Despite Yuki's gestures for her to stop and return to her duties, Emi continued over to him with a wide grin. She hopped up at his feet and grasped his shirt, tugging on the jacket until he lifted her up. She smiled in his arms, glad to be away from the staring crowd.

"Dada!" Emi cried.

"Emi, what are you doing? Remember what we practiced yesterday?" Yuki murmured to her.

Emi shook her head fervently, wrapping her arms and legs around him tightly. She clung to him with all her limbs as if she were afraid he would send her to the gallows instead of back to the aisle, where the procession had temporarily halted.

"Emi! Come back!" Akira cried urgently.

Regardless of his cries, Emi kept shaking her head in refusal.

Seeing as Akira continued ahead, diligently following his role as ring bearer, and as the music hadn't stopped yet, the rest of the line of people hurried forward, trying to reach the place they would have been at if there hadn't been a pause. Tohru's cue was about only a couple of seconds away, and they didn't want her to realize the event had already gone amiss. Sharing their same thoughts, Yuki wrestled Emi out of his arms, attempting to urge her back to her place without leaving his, but Emi attached herself to his leg and refused to let go until a flutter of white reached the threshold.

Yuki grimaced, just short of panicking now. Still fighting to get Emi back to tossing flowers, he was nearly pushing Emi down the short stairs, but Emi shoved back, using his refusal her to her advantage. Yuki groaned in defeat and let her rebind herself to his leg. He could already see Tohru, frozen by the doors and gawking at the sight before her. She looked ready to drop her flowers, retreat back behind the doors, and pinch her cheeks to wake herself from this nightmare. If her arm weren't linked to her grandfather's, Tohru surely would have fallen by now. Yuki frowned apologetically to her, but she didn't seem to notice.

Bowing his head, Yuki mouthed another unseen apology to her. He couldn't even appreciate how beautiful she looked in the pure white gown with her long tresses curled and pinned back. Yuki was unable to admire anything when the smile he had anticipated that had been etched in her face a second ago disappeared. Though there was only confusion painted across her face and though she wasn't frowning, Yuki knew she had had certain expectations for her dream day, as she had so deemed this day. She had been fussing over messing up the occasion herself with her clumsiness, but now, Emi was the one making the scene.

Noticing the uncomfortable aura stifling the room, Emi turned around. Spotting Tohru, Emi gasped excitedly and released Yuki's numb legs. Laughing wildly, Emi raced down the aisle, her basket swinging around her arm as she dodged the frozen wedding participants on her way to her mother. Grinning widely, Emi locked her fists around the silk and lace flowing around Tohru's legs. Emi lifted her arms up, demanding to be held. Tohru acquiesced with a faint smile, picking Emi up.

"Pweety!" Emi cried, gripping Tohru's veil as she hugged her.

Tohru stroked Emi's back calmly, but she immediately pulled away when Emi tried to lift the veil. Carefully, Tohru tried to pry Emi's fingers off of the lace without upsetting her. To her relief, Emi just peered back at her, perplexed. She was soon distracted anyways when her grandfather reached up and placed his hand on her back. Emi grinned. In Tohru's arms, Emi reached over and patted her great-grandfather's bald head. The elderly man glanced up at the child with an adoring smile, returning the favor with pats on her hair gently.

"Gam-paaa!" Emi cried, stretching her arms towards him.

With an expression completely opposite of Emi's, Akira stomped over with his arms on his hips and the pillow and ring sticking out of his pockets. He extended his puny index finger up at Emi, which made her fidget and squirm in Tohru's arms nervously. As if she understood Akira's purpose, Emi clung to Tohru, making her attitude clear with her bottom lip jutting out and trembling as she buried her head against Tohru's neck under the veil. Tohru tightened her grip on Emi reassuringly, but Emi refused to be consoled, whimpering and shaking as Tohru paused in her steps.

"Emi-chan! No!" Akira scolded.

Tohru beamed at the small boy, "It's all right, Akira-kun. It's fine like this."

Akira frowned but returned to his position at the front of the line and the wedding resumed, albeit taking half an hour longer to get to the altar than expected. Five paces from the short steps, Tohru set Emi on the floor, letting Akira, who had just finished delivering the rings to Yuki, pull her toward their seats in the front row by Kagura and Kyo. Anxiously, Tohru held her breath before daring to lift her eyes. First, she glanced at the sides of the altar, where the bridesmaids and groomsmen were lined up then at the arc itself. Her eyes followed the woven pattern of flowers and ribbons slowly.

Before she dared to shift her eyes over to the left side of the arc, Tohru sucked in a deep breath and held it and finally dared to glance over at who would be her spouse in a matter of hours. When their eyes locked, a smile broke out across her face, reflecting Yuki's excited expression.

The ceremony began again after Emi was pacified enough to stop calling for her mother.

Once Yuki had extended his hand out to Tohru, her grandfather took Tohru's gloved one and placed it in Yuki's before retreating to his designated spot by the groomsmen. Timidly, Tohru could only peek up at him as Yuki carefully led her up the steps. Never had she been so grateful for the veil that covered a bride's face. Although positive the scarlet tint to her cheeks bled through the lace, Tohru was also sure that the diaphanous white lace lightened her flushed cheeks. Tohru let out a deep breath when she made it up the steps without tripping. Settling in her position beside Yuki with her hands locked in his. She smiled, facing the priest as he began the ceremony.

Tohru listened diligently, giving a slight nod every so often to vows she especially believed in. Absorbed in the matrimonial words, Tohru hardly even noticed that the ceremony was drawing to a close until she felt a pressure on her left ring finger. Glancing down, she found Yuki sliding a second diamond studded silver band to join her engagement ring. She could barely recall even saying those two sacred words. Peering up at her through his bangs, he smiled faintly before reaching forward to lift the veil from her face. Her flushed face glowed scarlet as the white lace was draped over the back of her head, and Yuki bent forward to place a chaste peck on her lips.

Before Yuki could even pull away, Emi somehow escaped from Kagura's watchful eye and stole forward to the altar. Hopping up and down, Emi tugged on Tohru's dress, squeaking impatiently until Tohru blushed and picked her up. Hoisted in Tohru's arms, Emi leaned forward, mimicking Yuki as she pressed her lips to Tohru's cheek. Shyly, she giggled, covering her cheeks with both her hands as she had seen her mother do countless times before. Soon forgetting about the audience and her embarrassment, Emi planted a kiss on Yuki's cheek too.

When laughs and applauses erupted from the audience, Emi blinked in confusion before timidly leaning over Tohru's shoulder and grabbing the lacey veil to cover her face. Yuki chuckled under his breath, covering Emi's light brown locks with his hand. Tohru smiled too, but that quickly vanished behind a flood of scarlet when she was swept off the ground and into Yuki's arms. She let out a soft squeal that even made Emi pull her face from Tohru's shoulder. Finding herself a good distance from the ground, Emi's hands tightened around Tohru's dress until she noticed her father. Spotting her protector, Emi chirped happily.

Her jubilant squeaks brought a bright smile to everyone's face, especially Tohru's and Yuki's, which in turn, sent off a cascade of blinding lights. With her gloved hand, Tohru tried to shield her and Emi's eyes, but Emi shoved Tohru's hands away, enthralled by the bright flashes. She smiled and pointed at one of photographers.

"Dada?" she asked.

Tohru laughed, "No, sweetheart, that's not your daddy. He does take a lot of pictures of you though, doesn't he?"

Emi glanced back at the photographers as if she didn't believe what her mother had said then gazed at her father strangely. She laughed gleefully before frowning as she was set back on her feet. Emi peered up at her now upright mother, begging to be held once more, but as soon as Tohru obliged, Kagura snatched Emi out of Tohru's arms. In response to both Emi and Tohru's baffled and nearly hurt expressions, Kagura waved her index finger at them and shifted Emi away from Tohru, despite Emi's effort to climb around Kagura to return to her mother.

"Tohru-chan, you can't possibly babysit on your wedding day," Kagura grinned, "I'll feed Emi-chan, and you can eat with Yun-chan!"

"But-" Tohru attempted to protest, but Kagura refused to listen.

Kagura gently shoved Tohru towards Yuki, but she couldn't escape before Tohru began instructing her on how Emi preferred to eat.

"She can't eat whole foods yet, and she won't eat unless you cut everything into tiny pieces! Nothing too sweet, please! Or salty! She doesn't drink soda either! Oh! Emi-chan doesn't like seafood or-" Tohru squeaked after them feebly.

"Tohru," Yuki spoke to her gently, "Relax. If Kagura needs help, she can come back."

Tohru nodded, but her eyes lingered after Emi, who had begun to cry. Chewing on her bottom lip worriedly, Tohru gazed up at Yuki, begging him to stop Kagura. After one quick glance at the frown engraved into his new wife's face, Yuki sighed and called out to Kagura. Emi, however, had already escaped Kagura's grasp. By how close Kagura was to the table, Yuki could deduce that Emi had slid out and onto the table. The two-year old was currently running across the long table in Tohru's direction, but surprisingly not over to Tohru. Singing as she raced across the table, Emi skipped over to a large, five layer cake covered with white frosting. Too frozen in shock, nobody made a move to stop the grinning toddler until Emi had sunk her fingers into the dessert.

With a shrill laugh, Emi shoved her frosting coated fingers into her mouth. After licking her fingers, Emi extended the crumbs of cake and icing out to Tohru with a smile.

"Mama, num num!" Emi cried.

Tohru stared at her daughter in horror, unable to even force a smile on her face for her daughter's sake. The happiness melted off of Emi's face and the cake bits soon became a peace offering. Her eyes appeared ready to sprout fountains. With her bottom lip quivering, Emi dropped the pieces of cake, and her sugar coated hands soon covered her face, leaving frosting all over her pale skin. Tears began to ebb out, mixing with the white cream and trickling down her cheeks. Snapping out of her reverie, Tohru swiped at the dribble of tears across her own face before rushing over to Emi and taking her into her arms.

"Emi-chan! Don't cry! It's okay!" Tohru tried to soothe her daughter to no avail.

Trying to make Emi feel better, Yuki approached them and stuck his finger into the cake too, but the toddler barely noticed through the hazy film of tears coating her thick eyelashes. After a quick glance over at Tohru, Yuki smeared the frosting over Tohru's nose, making Tohru blink in confusion and a smile break out on Emi's tearstained face.

"See, Emi? Everything's all right. No more crying," Yuki told her.

Completely astounded by the fact that Yuki would even dare to do such a thing to her, Tohru peered at Yuki for a moment before she too took a handful of cake and shoved it into his face with a vengeful giggle. She had Emi in her arms and was headed off towards the bathroom before Yuki even realized she had retaliated, but unbeknownst to either of them, a picture had been snapped of the three of them, matching with their frosting masks. Yuki could only stare flabbergasted at Tohru's retreating figure, gazing uncomprehendingly at the woman he had once deemed incapable of a retort as he trailed his fingers down the frosting coating his cheeks.

"Let's get cleaned up, Emi-chan," Tohru suggested.

Emi didn't protest as she was carried off to the bathroom. After they had washed the icing off their hands and faces and exited the washroom, they found Yuki waiting for them, a grin replacing the frosting that had previously painted his face a paler white than normal. He offered them his arm, which Tohru took, but not without a suspicious look. Yuki brushed it off with an innocent chuckle, averting her eyes cautiously. He kept his gaze on Emi instead, who was glancing all around the room innocently, already having forgotten the cake and was now mesmerized by the hundreds of flowers dangling on the walls.

"Yuki-kun! No more frosting games! We haven't gotten a picture of the cake yet!" Tohru exclaimed when they neared the cake.

"Wouldn't think of it, love," Yuki reassured her.

Tohru eyed him curiously, but she followed obediently and sat down in the chair he pulled out for her.

"I'll get us some food," Yuki offered.

"Okay," Tohru agreed.

She watched him saunter off before she checked her surroundings, trying to find something out of place, but all she saw was the long table covered with lacey white tablecloth and entwined ribbons. With a sigh, she gave up her investigation and set Emi down in the decorated highchair beside her. Emi happily smacked her hands against the chair, playing with her plastic plate and forks. Kagura made no move to take Emi away again, keeping her distance as she eyed Emi strangely while the toddler tried to eat her empty plate. Emi wiggled in her chair after finally dropping the plate out of her mouth in distaste when the smell of the buffet stand wafted over to her.

"Mama, num num! Num!" Emi cried, stretching out of her chair to point at plates of food people were returning with.

Tohru stroked Emi's arm soothingly, getting her to settle back in her chair.

"I know, sweetie. You can eat soon," Tohru promised, "Daddy is getting your food."

"Dadaaaa!" Emi called, whacking her fork against her plate impatiently.

"Emi!" Tohru hissed.

Tohru took Emi into her arms, quieting the fussy child. Emi relaxed, but as soon as she spotted Yuki, she was standing on Tohru's legs and holding her arms out to him. Yuki laughed, taking her into his arms and placing her back into her seat after he had set down the two full plates he was holding. Emi could hardly contain herself as Yuki was placing food on her plate and Tohru was cutting for her. Dropping her utensils on the tray in front of her, Emi shoved food into her mouth with her fingers, instantly forgetting all mannerisms her parents had tried to teach her.

Tohru sighed while Yuki chuckled and sat down in the seat next to hers.

"What are you so happy about?" Tohru questioned.

"What? I can't be happy on my own wedding day?" Yuki inquired, "I did just marry the woman I love more than anything else in the world, you know."

Fighting back her flush, Tohru eyed him cautiously.

"Aren't you happy?" he inquired.

"Of course I am!" she exclaimed.

Cupping her chin with his hand, he smiled, caressing her pale skin as he leaned forward to kiss her cheek. Tohru's already scarlet skin darkened further when the clicking of the cameras resumed in rapid fire. She was about to push him away in humiliation when he leaned over further, bringing his lips to her ear, and the tingling, cool air of his breath sent shivers down her spine and goose bumps to her skin as he spoke to her quietly, in a tone she could barely hear.

He whispered, "I figure this is punishment enough."

"Punishment? But you take pictures of me all the time!" she pointed out.

"Yes, but I've noticed that you're always more uncomfortable when other people take your picture."

Tohru didn't comment, facing her thin white high heels timidly, but that didn't prevent him from tugging her back against his chest, giving the photographers more scenes to take pictures of. She was appalled by how many excuses for photos he could come up with, and that was excluding the hundred with the cake. By the time she got a break, she wasn't sure if those splotches of color covering the corners of her vision would ever leave, and she was left wondering how she had ever doubted that this was a punishment.

And then, Shigure just had to say something that shoved the pictures to the back of her mind. The sane person would have run the moment he saw the half crazed look across Shigure's face, but Tohru sat there unsuspectingly, welcoming him over with a half wave while Yuki watched her, unaware of the looming danger.

"Tohruuuu! Yuuuuki! It's time to take off the garter!" Shigure announced wryly, bouncing over from his spot in the table beside theirs.

"She's not wearing one," Yuki retorted curtly without even turning to face him.

"But- I- Um…" Tohru stuttered nervously.

She looked away with flushed cheeks, unable to meet her new husband's incredulous expression. Subconsciously, she fiddled with her dress, wrapping the lacy skirt around her fingers and grazing her fingers against her thigh. Turning her head away, she hid a small grimace as she felt the slight raise in her skirt that told her she hadn't been dreaming when Uo had talked her into this. She had really agreed and acquiesced without the slightest protest, and from her reflection she caught in the shining silverware she was staring at, she truly appeared feverish, and Yuki was actually appalled from his frozen tense posture she could catch out of the edge of her sight.

"Y-You're actually wearing one?" Yuki choked out.

"Um! I-I- Uo-chan told me that it's bad luck if I-I don't! And she told me that if we wanted our marriage to last longer than a week you have to take it off!" Tohru explained embarrassedly in a rushed voice.

"Tohru…" Yuki groaned halfheartedly.

"But Uo-chan said that you don't love me if you refuse to take it off!"

"Tohru, I wouldn't have married you if I didn't love you."

After gaping at him for a moment, she turned away, hiding her blush.

"Hey, Prince! How can you expect her to believe that you find her physically attractive if you won't even take an innocent opportunity to put your face to her thigh?" Uo snapped.

Tohru glanced over at him worriedly, as if all her self-consciousness from the early days of their relationships had returned. Reluctantly, he positioned himself beside Tohru, ready to obey if it'd assure Tohru of his love. He somehow managed to hide most of his discomfort, but his heard thumped rapidly within its cavity. Yuki all but lost his cool as he uneasily lifted the lacy hem of her dress and noticed how high the garter was positioned. For a minute, all he could do was stare at it, trying to figure out how he could get that thing off without making Tohru uncomfortable. His careful considerations had the opposite effect, seeing as everyone else misinterpreted his scrutinizing, and that humiliated Tohru to no end. He swore he could see hints of her blush across her legs.

Finally, he took in a shallow breath before grasping the garter between his teeth and yanking it down as rapidly as he could. In attempt to keep Shigure from getting anywhere near the garter, Yuki tossed it in the opposite direction, but forgot that his brother was there until the garter landed on his head. Ayame blinked in confusion before taking it with a grin and rushed over to Shigure.

"Oh, Gure! We must get married immediately!" Ayame crooned.

"Of course, Aya!" Shigure agreed.

Shigure began skipping over to Ayame, but Akito soon tripped him, and Shigure came face to face with Akito's darkened eyes. He laughed uneasily as he tried unsuccessfully to crawl away.

Yuki simply stared, unable to react to what had just occurred. He didn't even realize that he was still holding Tohru's dress up until Haru approached and curiously peered at the newlyweds, who were both avoiding a glance in the other's direction. Clearly amused by their behavior, Haru bent over, placing his head at the same level as Yuki's and leaning towards Tohru until his nose nearly grazed her leg. Suddenly noting Haru's presence, Yuki flinched, dropping Tohru's dress immediately before glaring at his cousin.

"You know, I've never paid much attention before, but Honda-san has _really_ nice legs," Haru commented.

"Don't look at her like that!" Yuki snapped.

"You're the one making a spectacle of her legs," Haru responded nonchalantly.

"I am not-" Yuki began to protest until Uo interrupted.

"Excuse me, boys. But if you're done checking Tohru's limbs out, it's time to toss the bouquet," Uo announced.

Uo tugged Tohru away with a smug grin, snickering at the faint pink tint tainting Yuki's pale face, but his blush was no match for Tohru's. Tohru was practically hiding behind her bouquet, not daring to peek out until Uo let her stop at the front of the room. She noticed all the females were lined up behind her already, with the exception of the few that were married. After Uo had hastened back to her spot, Tohru quickly glanced over her shoulder before she smiled and tossed her bouquet over her shoulders. The flowers soared past all the woman lined up behind Tohru, bounced off Emi's head, and landed on the floor, beside her stubby legs. Emi stared at the flowers before laughing and taking them into her arms.

"Flou Flou!" Emi chirped excitedly.

Uo approached the child, amused to find Emi chomping on the flower buds once again.

"Who are you gonna marry, princess?" Uo teased her.

"Mama!" Emi answered promptly.

"No, no. You can't marry your mommy. She's married to your daddy."

"Dada?" Emi questioned.

"No, no. He's married too. How about someone your age?"

"Aki-chan!" Emi squealed.

Hearing her nickname for him, Akira left Akito's side and raced over to Emi, who in turn waved the flowers at him jubilantly. Akira grinned at her, holding the garter that his father had just placed into his hands moments ago. Emi peered at it with a peculiar expression. Putting her finger to her bottom lip, Emi glanced up at her mother, recognizing the lacy ring from a prior scene involving her parents but not quite sure. Pointing her finger to it, she cocked her head to the side and voiced her question, "Mama?"

Akira shook his head in denial, "No! Mine!"

"Flou Flou?" Emi asked, offering him three of the flowers in her bouquet.

Akira inspected the roses carefully before finally holding up five fingers, indicating his desire for half of the bouquet. Emi frowned, confused by his gesture. She hugged the bouquet back against her chest, peering at Akira with her thin eyebrows furrowed. Akira gave a dramatic sigh as he pulled out two more flowers and taking the ones in her outstretched hand. Satisfied, he smiled and handed her the garter before walking over to Yuki and Tohru. Emi chased after him, clutching the garter triumphantly.

"Emi no know numb-wers!" Akira declared.

"No, she doesn't. Not yet. She's too little," Tohru smiled as Emi approached them too.

"Lookie, Mama!" Emi cried, holding up the garter.

Flushing, Tohru stuttered, "Where did you get that, Emi-chan?"

Emi pointed at Akira, who pursed his lips in a half scowl at her.

"Emi!" Akira screeched.

"It's all right, Akira, Tohru," Yuki comforted both of them before bending down to Emi.

He slid the garter gently from her fingers, partially shocked that she let him take it from her. When Emi began to panic and reach back for the lacy band, Yuki slid it around her wrist, wrapping it around several times to make a bracelet out of it. When he finished, Emi giggled, raising her arm up proudly to flaunt her new accessory that had now overtaken nearly her entire arm. She hopped up and down excitedly, bragging wordlessly about her new accessory to anyone who'd look her way. Yuki patted her head with a smile before standing up, clearly satisfied with the arrangement.

"Yuki!" Tohru hissed, "Emi can't play with that!"

"Would you rather Shigure have it?" Yuki queried.

"No, but-"

"This way is best then. Emi won't let anyone take that from her without a fight," he chuckled.

Sure enough, when Shigure did try to get Emi to give him the garter back, Emi slapped his hand and darted back to Tohru, ducking under Tohru's gown. Emi sat on the ground under her makeshift tent, leaning against Tohru's legs. Shigure followed Emi, just beginning to lift the bottom of Tohru's gown when he heard Yuki clear his throat. Shigure froze, grimacing to himself as he dropped the hem. He smoothened the edge of Tohru's dress and backed away with an innocent smile. Tohru peered at them, unsure of whether she was more frustrated or humiliated at the moment, but she grasped Yuki's hand, restraining him in case that glare hinted at any desire to harm Shigure as his next words did.

"What do you think you're doing to Tohru, my wife?" Yuki demanded.

"Nothing! Nothing at all!" Shigure laughed uneasily.

Shigure didn't stay long enough for Yuki to get in another word. He raced off, disappearing amongst the crowd. Tohru hardly noticed, too absorbed in trying to coax Emi out.

"Emi, come out, sweetie. No more hiding under mama's skirts, please," Tohru pled.

"No!" Emi squealed.

"Emi, no one is going to take your things," Tohru assured her.

"No! No!" Emi cried again.

With a frown, Tohru took a few steps forward, letting the bottom of her dress slide over Emi. Emi grabbed onto the hem before it got away, falling onto her back when Tohru took another step. Giggling, Emi let Tohru drag her a few paces ahead in delight while Tohru gave a huff of frustration. Before Emi could notice, Tohru hurried back and grabbed Emi, lifting her up and breaking her hold on the dress. Emi pouted, but she let Tohru carry her back to Yuki, where Emi demanded to switch carriers. She climbed into Yuki's arms, snuggling against him with a bright smile.

"Hi, Dada!" she greeted loudly.

"Hey, my little baby," he responded lightly, only to receive a frown from her.

"Emi no baby!" she squeaked.

"No?" he inquired, "Then where's my baby?"

He set her down teasingly, but Emi clung to him.

"Emi! Emi! Dada! Emi dada!" she wailed.

"Are you my baby?" Yuki asked with a smile.

"Mmm!" Emi exclaimed with a nod.

Yuki bent down and kissed her on top of her head, chuckling at her extended arms. Though she could walk better than most toddlers, she forced them to carry her more often than not, not that they minded. Emi hugged him, wrapping her chubby arms around his neck and slobbering all over his shoulder before pulling away and pointing her finger at the speaker beside them that had suddenly started to play a love song. Emi stared at the machine with her mouth agape, listening in wonder and curiosity. Yuki smiled at her, taking one of her balled up fists in his hands.

"That's a speaker, Emi, and it plays music so people can dance. Are you going to dance with daddy?" Yuki asked.

Emi tilted her head to the side in a confused manner, and her thin brows furrowed at the strange new words. A laugh soon replaced her puzzled expression when Yuki began to swing her around. Her hands locked around his jacket, clinging on for dear life as he twirled her around and lowered her towards the ground for the dip. By then she was shaking hysterically, kicking her legs and swinging her arms in delight. Tohru couldn't even manage a sigh of frustration at how most of Emi's locks hung out of her pigtails or how her barrettes were clinging on to thin strands of hair. Emi's jubilant, flushed face wouldn't allow anything but a smile to form on Tohru's face.

"Dan-zing!" Emi chirped.

"Yes, Emi. Dancing," Yuki smiled at her.

Emi simpered bashfully back at him as she shielded her face with his fist. A pair of arms soon slithered under her arms and slid her out of Yuki's arms. Emi blinked in confusion for a moment before thrashing about, yanking on Yuki's hand desperately. She settled down a bit when she realized it was Uo, but continued to whimper for her parents. Uo shifted Emi to the side to cut Yuki and Tohru out of her sight and distracted her by bouncing her up and down while she shoved Yuki back over to Tohru in a not so gentle manner.

"Hey, today you gotta focus on your new wife. Leave Emi to her billions of relatives and friends, right Emi?" Uo crooned to the toddler.

Emi smiled, "Dan-zing?"

"You wanna dance, precious?" Uo asked, beginning to walk away without even waiting for Yuki's response.

Emi nodded with a smile while Yuki stood back there, partly gaping with his hand extended out to stop them in vain, but Uo didn't even look back. Yuki raked his fingers through his hair in dejection, having been abandoned by his daughter before turning to Tohru, who stood at his side with an equally confound expression. He tossed her an apologetic smile, acknowledging what Uo had said as true, at least partially. He should have been devoting himself to Tohru completely. Lifting her gloved hand to his face, he kissed it gently, keeping his lips pressed against the silky material for a moment before gazing at her.

"Do I get the first dance?" he inquired.

Tohru looked down shyly but nodded as he lowered their hands. He led her towards the middle of the room, coming to a stop before her and taking both her hands in his. He drew her against his chest, and Tohru contently leaned her head against his shoulder, letting him lead her to the slow dance. She beamed joyfully, perfectly at ease, until she remembered the photographers that surrounded them, and then she quickly grew subconscious of her stumbling and awkward dancing. She knew she had already tripped over his and her own feet several times already, but Yuki kept her upright and seemingly graceful, and for that, he received frequent pecks on the check.

It wasn't long, about their third dance, before Emi broke out of Uo's hold and darted back over to Tohru and Yuki, grasping onto Yuki's pants and Tohru's skirt ecstatically.

"Daaaaaaanzing!" she chimed, proudly showing off her new word.

"Right, Emi. You know, we never finished our dance, did we?" Yuki asked her.

Emi shook her head fervently and extended her arms up at him. Yuki chuckled, releasing his hold on Tohru when he noticed her grandfather walking up towards them. After he picked Emi up, Yuki gestured to Tohru that her grandfather was behind her. Tohru nearly jumped out of shock, but she quickly recomposed herself in fear that her stumble would have been caught on film. Her grandfather helped her steady herself with a warm expression.

"Tohru-chan, I hope you don't mind me taking Katsuya's part and dancing with you instead," her grandfather smiled.

"Of course not! I would love to dance with you, grandpa!" Tohru exclaimed.

As her grandpa took her hands and began the dance slowly, Tohru could see Emi whirl about in Yuki's arms with a huge smile overtaking her face. Yuki swung Emi around on the dance floor, grinning as she laughed. Emi's shrill giggles filled the room as her feet dangled off the floor. Tohru watched over the shoulder of her grandfather, somewhat jealous that Emi had already danced longer with Yuki than Tohru had and after snatching him from her own arms too. She couldn't envy her daughter for long, however, not with Emi's lips curved up in a smile that made her heart swell with joy.

Besides, Yuki was soon returned to Tohru as Akira claimed Emi's next dance. Tohru let out a deep breath, relieved that the photographers were distracted for a moment, snapping pictures of the two toddlers mimicking the dancing grownups around them and falling all over the place. Tohru pressed her head against Yuki's chest, happily watching her daughter.

"Perfect. Everything's perfect… Thank you, Yuki-kun… I love you," she breathed dreamily.

"I love you too."

After hours of dancing and chatting, the two tired newlyweds were standing at the door, bidding farewell to all their guests as they all sauntered out the exit with warm wishes to the couple. Once everyone had gone, Tohru glanced back at the chair where Emi was curled up, sleeping under her father's jacket. Tohru scooped up the child and let Yuki lead them both to the limousine they had rented to take them home. Inside, after strapping Emi into the baby seat, they both waved farewell to the crowd of their friends and family. The car started softly, driving off with strings of empty cans and bells trailing behind it and streamers of flowers fluttering in the wind. Yuki's hand inched towards Tohru's before clasping her hand in his and squeezing it comfortingly. Tohru glanced at him with a warm smile, and he pecked her head before they both turned away, averting their bashful eyes the rest of the ride.

---

"Looks like our little wedding crasher is done for the night," Yuki chuckled, "She looks so innocent, doesn't she?"

Emi lay in her crib, curled up under her fleece, pink blanket, still in her flower girl dress with her pajamas lying on top of her pillow, her favorite stuffed mouse under her arm, and her thumb in her mouth. Yuki and Tohru were leaning against the crib, both watching the child's chest rise and fall slowly as she slept soundly. Emi hadn't even fluttered an eye open since she had fallen asleep at the party, much to Tohru's distress. With tears threatening to spill over the short dams of her eyes, Tohru fought back her guilty sobs only to keep from disturbing Emi's peaceful slumber.

"She must have worn herself out at the party. She couldn't even wake up to put on her pajamas. Poor Emi-chan!" Tohru cried worriedly, "It's all my fault, Yuki-kun! I shouldn't have insisted that she stay the whole time!"

"Tohru, relax. She had fun."

Tohru didn't seem the least bit consoled. Sniffling, she stroked Emi's knotted locks. Emi stirred, fidgeting around before flipping over and resuming her soft snoring peacefully. She clutched her mouse plush closely, mumbling _mama _in her sleep. Yuki doubted that relieved Tohru's excessive fears, but Emi sure knew how to distract her mother, regardless of her state of consciousness. Yuki could have sworn the very corners of Tohru's mouth had twitched upwards, but it vanished before he could be positive. Her body did seem to be hunched over the crib less tensely though.

"See? She's fine," Yuki assured her.

"I-I guess," Tohru agreed as a content smile crossed Emi's face.

The creases across Tohru's forehead slowly faded away as she watched Emi smile in her slumber. Wearily, she stroked Emi's arm one last time before slowly taking a step back and finally retreating from the room. Yuki followed, flicking off the lights and shutting the door gently behind him.

---

After two weeks of marriage, Tohru hadn't noticed any big changes in her life. Yuki still couldn't get up before noon when he didn't have classes to go to, Emi still got up before six in the morning, and well she was still the happiest woman in the world. Today was just like any other day. It was nine-o-clock, Yuki was still slumbering soundly and Emi was sitting in her high chair, banging her fork against her plate, demanding the food Tohru was now cooking. Emi froze, however, when she heard the doorbell ring. Leaning back in her chair, she stared at the door with curious eyes and began to flail her arms when she noticed a person beyond the window.

"Ding doooong!" Emi cried to Tohru.

"Emi-chan, don't lean back! You'll fall!" Tohru warned fretfully.

Tohru lifted Emi out of her chair and carried her to the front of the house. As soon as they were close enough to the door, Emi grasped the door knob, trying in vain to open it. Tohru shook her head with a faint smile, setting Emi on her feet to pull open the door herself, but as soon as Emi's bare feet touched the rug, she plopped herself on the floor and tried to squeeze through the mail slot in the door. With a gasp, Tohru tugged the child out and immediately hugged Emi, relieved her arms had slid out easily. When they finally opened the door, a stack of boxes on the poor greeted them. A delivery man, meanwhile, squeezed past them over to Tohru, holding out a clipboard to her. Tohru took it quizzically.

"Are you Mrs. Sohma?" he asked, out of breath.

"Y-Yes!" Tohru squeaked, slightly embarrassed at the sound of her newly acquired last name.

"I'll need you to sign these forms then. These are your wedding pictures. As you requested, we have two of every copy, the film, the video, and a digital copy of all your pictures," the man explained.

Tohru's eyes widened, "All of those?!"

"Yes. Unless you believe there's a mistake?" he inquired.

"No, no! I'm sure these are ours," Tohru responded.

Humiliated, Tohru could only stare at the three boxes of pictures. More copying her mother than actually reacting, Emi, too, gazed at the stack with her eyebrows raised and her jaw dropped, but unlike Tohru, Emi soon burst into a fit of giggles. Emi quickly quieted down when she realized no one else was making a sound. Pursing her lips in confusion, Emi peered up at her mother's serious expression, puzzled, as she fidgeted awkwardly and played with the straps of her overalls. The child began to pull on her mother's fingers to get her attention, but all Tohru could do was stare at the boxes.

"Mama?" Emi called, tugging on Tohru's skirt.

"Yes, sweetie?" Tohru asked.

"Mine?" she asked, extending one chubby finger at the boxes.

"No, honey, but mama will show you what's inside after breakfast, okay?"

"Mama! Num num!" Emi cried, remembering food at the sound of breakfast.

"Yes, Emi-chan. Mama hasn't forgotten," Tohru assured the child.

"Your daughter is adorable," the deliveryman commented with a smile

When he reached forward to pat Emi on the head, however, Emi ducked behind Tohru and immediately hid as best she could under Tohru's knee length skirt, though it only covered a couple of inches of her head. To Tohru's humiliation, Emi tried to pull down her skirt to cover more of herself, unsuccessfully to Tohru's relief. Giving up, Emi wrapped her arms around Tohru's leg and whimpered, making the delivery man withdraw with a guilty expression. Emi peeked up at him for a second before ducking back behind her hiding place and holding her mother tighter.

"Thank you," Tohru smiled at him before tugging Emi out, "Emi, what did mommy say about hiding when people talk to you?"

Emi peered at her for a moment before running back inside the house, calling, "Dada!"

Tohru watched with a sigh as Emi stumbled towards the stairs and began crawling the rest of the way up the steps after she fell to where Yuki was sleeping, crying for him all the while. Tohru grimaced when she heard a crash, wincing at the thud that followed. Hearing Emi continue to call for Yuki, Tohru assumed Emi had awoken Yuki, and Yuki had just run into a wall. She shook her head and bowed apologetically to the delivery man before signing the form attached to the clipboard and returning it to him.

"Thank you," he responded before sauntering away uncomfortably.

Tohru glanced at the heavy boxes before turning back inside the house, smiling when she saw Emi dragging an only semiconscious Yuki to the doorway. Leaning back on the edges of her heels, Emi was yanking on his arm, using every ounce of her body to move him along. Yuki was still rubbing his droopy eyes, only half awake and only partially aware of where he was at the moment. After a minute, Emi gave up, let go of his hand, and dropped onto her bottom. She stood up and hurried back over to Tohru when she noticed the deliveryman was gone. Yuki's eyes followed Emi to Tohru, whom he stared at for a moment, before they settled on the boxes behind her and widened.

"The pictures?" he mumbled.

Tohru nodded and gestured to the boxes with a half smile.

"Do you want me to get those?" he offered.

"Yes, please. They are _your_ pictures," she smiled.

"My pictures? Of my wedding with my beautiful wife?" he asked.

"Your wife didn't want you to get three boxes full of pictures. She wanted one nice photo album! Not fifty!" Tohru exclaimed, exasperated.

Tohru folded her arms across her chest and tried to narrow her eyes at him and frown, but she couldn't, not with Emi copying her actions and dramatically folding her arms and pouting at Yuki. Yuki peered hesitantly at Tohru, gauging how upset she was before cupping her cheek and pressing his lips to her forehead, replacing all wrinkles of frustration with a tint of pink. He playfully tugged on one of her long tresses before bending over towards Emi. Patting her head gently, he gestured to the boxes.

"Are you going to help daddy bring the boxes in?"

Emi's head bobbed up and down as she eagerly hopped outside and wrapped her arms around the bottom box, her face scrunching together as she tried to tug it out in vain. Yuki laughed as he bent over to help her carry the pile inside, letting Emi walk under it with her arms lifted up, so she believed she had finally managed to lift the boxes. Tohru shook her head as she slid Emi out from under the heavy pile to avoid a possible accident. Beaming proudly, Emi climbed into Tohru's arms and hugged her. Tohru crushed Emi against her chest and tugged Yuki down to join them.

Looking at her husband and daughter with a serene smile, Tohru asked, "Could there be anyone in the world that's happier than me?"

"Yep," Yuki answered nonchalantly.

"What? Who?!" Tohru cried, nearly outraged.

"Me," he answered.

"Emi!" Emi piped in, mistaking Yuki's response for her name.

"I love my family!" Tohru exclaimed in delight.

Tohru laughed and squeezed her small family into a tight embrace, holding them both closely and planting kisses on both of their heads. Squished between the torsos of her parents, Emi squealed and tried to squirm out, pushing and prodding at her parents until she interrupted the kiss they had just initiated and made them separate enough so she could poke her head out. Peering at her beaming parents, Emi could only giggle as she stood, climbed up onto Yuki's legs and planted wet smooches on both her parents' cheeks, bursting into hysterics when they both scooped her up and walked hand in hand back to the forgotten meal in the kitchen.

**The wedding c: For Twilight Cherry. Happy Half Birthday?? D: Sorry. I procrastinated BIG time. c: I hope you enjoyed. Review and correct my mistakes please.**


	3. X0X0 His Valentine

Title: XOXO- His Valentine

Summary: Tohru had prepared something for Yuki for Valentines Day in hopes of telling him a little secret of hers, but the revelation that the Prince has a crush sparks her interest and leaves her fumbling for words each time she looks at him. Will he get the Valentine he desires?

Genre: Romance

Word Count: 5,344

Rating: K+

Tohru stood in the kitchen, beating a chocolate mix in a large bowl. With a tired huff and a wipe across her forehead, Tohru paused in her work, glancing at the clock to her left. When she noticed she had less than half an hour before she had to leave for school, Tohru quickened her pace, eager to leave the house on time. Yuki had already left for a student council meeting before school, and Kyo was off running. In her haste in placing the chocolate into a pan to cook, Tohru didn't even notice that she had stained her face with the sweet treat. As the dessert simmered, Tohru tossed off her apron and hurried to her room to change.

When she returned, the chocolate was ready, and she impatiently waited for the mix to cool, tapping her foot as she switched her gaze back and forth between the chocolate and the clock. Before it had cooled enough, she stuck her hands into the hardening chocolate and molded them into small spheres, trying her best to ignore her scalding palms as she hurried to finish. Just as she put the last one on the platter, a tan hand reached past her and snatched one of her precious chocolate treats. With a gasp, Tohru whirled around to gape at the orange haired thief behind her with her hands firmly planted on her hips.

"Kyo-kun! Those aren't for you!" she cried.

"Then who are they for?" he asked, not even bothering to finish chewing his mouthful of chocolate.

"T-That's none of your business!" Tohru exclaimed, holding the dish protectively against her chest.

"Don't tell me they're for the damn rat," Kyo muttered.

Tohru could only blush in reply, her cheeks heating up to an unprecedented degree. Averting his gaze, Tohru stared at a fraying thread at the bottom of her skirt. Without even having to glance up at his fiery red eyes, she knew Kyo was frowning and imagining himself murdering Yuki. Tohru shrunk into the corner of the kitchen, backing into the cabinets meekly. She could practically feel the burning shroud of Kyo's fury upon her bare shoulders. Clenching the platter nervously, she forced open one of her squeezed shut eyes and was taken aback to find a nearly placid countenance before her.

"Whatever," Kyo finally mumbled, "Just make sure he actually gets it. Don't let those stupid fan girls dump it in the trash, all right?"

He patted her head once before he started to walk away. Tohru's head shot up when she heard his retreating steps.

"Kyo-kun! Wait! You know I would have made you chocolates too, but you guys wouldn't let me make everyone chocolates this year!" Tohru called after him, not wanting to upset her friend.

He barely acknowledged her with a slight nod and a partial wave. No eye contact or even a glance back. Tohru frowned, peering at the chocolates guiltily. She hadn't meant to make Kyo feel rejected. She had tried so hard to wake up early and finish the chocolates so no one would notice, but Kyo found out already. Tohru knew Kyo had a small crush on her, but it was Valentine's day, and she thought she had mustered enough courage to tell Yuki of her crush, or at least enough to give him chocolates, but now she couldn't help but hate herself for considering her feelings for Yuki over Kyo's crush on her.

She grimaced, hugging the plate in frustration.

Meanwhile, Shigure had just awoken and was wandering over to the kitchen to get the breakfast Tohru usually left out for him. He was shocked to find Tohru still there, but he smiled when he noticed her squeezing a platter of chocolates to death. Walking over with a sly grin, he welcomed himself to steal a treat and pop it into his mouth. Tohru's eyes snapped open when she heard him loudly chewing one. Upset at another loss of her chocolates, Tohru frowned. At this rate, Yuki would be lucky if he even got one of his chocolates.

"Shigure-san! That's not for you!" she wailed.

"Don't worry, Tohru-kun. I was just sampling them for Yuki. And don't fret, they're delicious. He'll love them. That lucky cousin of mine!" Shigure rambled.

"Really? You think he'll- Shigure-san! How did you know they're for Yuki-kun?" Tohru questioned, bewildered.

She worriedly bit her lower lip. Had her feelings really been that transparent?

"Tohru-kun, I'd love to explain, but if you don't leave soon, you'll be late," Shigure warned.

Tohru let out a squeak before shoving the chocolates into the refrigerator, grabbing her bag, and bidding him farewell. She had raced out of the house before he could even point out the brown stain on her cheek.

Tohru had never run so fast in her entire life. The second she had set foot into the classroom, the bell rung, and she nearly collapsed before she sunk into her seat. She knew she was red and sweaty and that her friends were concerned, but when she turned to give them a reassuring smile, she noticed that Uo was struggling to hold back a chuckle. Tohru gave her a puzzling look, so Uo walked over after checking that Mayu was preoccupied. She sat down in the chair that was empty beside Tohru and smirked wryly as she wiped the chocolate from Tohru's face with her sleeve.

"Who were you making chocolates for?" Uo asked.

Tohru's cheeks inflamed as she looked away, avoiding Uo's prying gaze embarrassedly. In her gaze around the room, she made eye contact with Yuki. He smiled at her and gave her a wave, which she returned twofold with tinted cheeks before she turned around and busied herself by unpacking her backpack. Though Tohru hadn't noticed, Uo had watched the whole scene, and a knowing grin was plastered across her pale face. She snickered as she noticed that the blush across Tohru's cheeks now reached her ears.

Uo questioned, "For the prince?"

"Uo-chan! Shh!" Tohru hissed.

With her blush deepening, Tohru quickly glanced back at Yuki, making sure he hadn't heard her before pouting at Uo, which made Uo stop teasing her immediately, but Tohru was sure Uo stopped more so because she was eavesdropping on the conversation between the Yuki fan club members in front of them. Tohru sighed, trying not to overhear them, but they were making that difficult for her. She tried to focus on reviewing her notes instead, but she couldn't help catching the half whispered words the fan club members were spouting to each other.

"You ask him!"

"Me?! But! But- Oh fine!"

With her fists clenched determinedly, Minami stood up and turned to the corner where Yuki sat. After staring at the school prince dreamily for a moment, she cleared her throat, making him turn away from the window he had been previously staring out of and face her with his eyebrows raised curiously. She faltered with her mouth agape for a second before taking a deep breath to calm herself.

"So… Yuki-kun, since it's Valentine's day and all, I was just wondering if… if maybe…Um… I mean do you like anyone at the moment?" Minami asked as casually as she could manage.

Tohru's eyes shot wide open, and she had to grip the desk with all her might to keep herself from whirling around and staring at Yuki as everyone else had just begun to do. Not many rumors could catch Tohru's attention, but an inquiry of the prince's love interest was an entirely different story. Heck, even Mayu was eavesdropping. From the silence that enraptured the classroom, Tohru assumed she wasn't the only one interested in Yuki's response. She was, however, the only one bothering to conceal her curiosity, fighting to keep her head towards the front of the room instead of facing the desk two seats behind and one to the left of her. Even Motoko had ditched her class to listen from the hallway.  
"Umm… Yes," Yuki admitted awkwardly.

Gasps filtered through the room.

"So you have a l-lover?" Minami choked out in shock.

"Not exactly…"

"You mean you haven't confessed to your crush?!" another fan girl blurted out.

"Not yet…"

"Why?!" Minami nearly shouted.

"Fear of rejection…?" Yuki responded reluctantly, wishing he had just lied in the first place.

"Whaat? Who would reject you?"

"_She_ might," he murmured under his breath.

"Psst. Hey, Tohru. The prince just glanced up at you, and he's blushing," Uo whispered into Tohru's ear.

"Stop looking at him! You're making him uncomfortable!" Tohru hissed back.

"But he likes you," Uo told her nonchalantly.

Tohru's cheeks darkened as the words sunk in. She only let herself revel in the possibility for a moment, picturing a pleased Yuki eating her chocolate and holding her hand in his, before she shook her head, clearing her head of her fantasies. Quickly peering at both of her friends, she hoped they hadn't seen the dazed and dreamy look across her face, but as soon as she spotted the smug look across Uo's face and a faint smile on Hana's, Tohru knew her hopes had been in vain. Sometimes, she felt her friends placed too much faith in her, and she didn't want to get her hopes up lest he crushes her heart.

"Impossible," Tohru muttered with a sigh.

"Tohru, come on. Don't you see how he treats you? He fawns over you like you're a goddess. He practically worships you," Uo pointed out.

"Uo-chan! That's not true!" Tohru denied, "Yuki-kun is just a nice person! Hana-chan, tell Uo-chan that she's exaggerating!"

"Sorry, Tohru-kun, but I must agree with Arisa on this. He does dote on you a lot and his waves…" Hana trailed off, feeling no need to explain.

Tohru covered her face with both her hands, trying to hide the blush fully blooming across her once pale cheeks while she continued to shake her head in denial. Uo simply laughed at her friend, hugging her in apology. Tohru wasn't paying attention though; she was absorbed in the progression of the interrogation directed at Yuki. This was one thing she could thank the fan club for, even though she could tell all the attention bothered Yuki. The fact that he had a crush gave her an ounce of hope, and while the spotlight focused on him, no one but her friends had noticed the scarlet tinge to her face.

"Who is she?" Minami asked eagerly.

"Um… A girl in this class," Yuki mumbled unwillingly.

"Who?!" most of the girls demanded in unison.

"Uh…"

"Is it me?!" Minami cut in.

"Afraid not," Yuki replied as politely as he could.

"Me?"

"No, no! It's me, right Yuki-kun?"

"No way! Me!"

"Sorry… I don't know any of you all that well, let alone enough to claim I love you," Yuki uttered uncomfortably.

Waves of dejection crashed through the room as the once hopeful girls sank down into their seats, gaping at him, disbelieving and hurt. Tohru, too, hung her head in defeat, albeit receiving no rejection. Her faint glimmers of hope that the girl Yuki liked could possibly be her had all but vanished now. If he didn't like any of those girls, some of the most beautiful in the school, then he must see absolutely nothing worthwhile in her. Depressed, she dropped her head onto her desk, contemplating whether she should give him her chocolates anyways. She had slaved all morning for them and had sacrificed hours of sleep, but they'd probably inconvenience him and drive a rift in their treasured friendship. Unbeknownst to her, Yuki's eyes were glued to her with a sheen of concern to them.

Noting both their reactions, Uo turned to Yuki with a grin, deciding to play matchmaker, "It's Tohru, right? You're completely in love with Tohru."

Tohru's head immediately shot up in shock. She gawked at her friend before flipping her head to peek at Yuki anxiously. She didn't notice anything other than his agape mouth, ready to respond, before she averted his gaze and determinedly forced herself to stare at the notes on the board Mayu had just completed. Absorbing none of the words, Tohru waited nervously with a crimson face for Yuki to say something, but before he could, Mayu called for everyone's attention, relieving her yet disappointing her at once.

But after five seconds, Tohru realized she couldn't concentrate at all. Her mind was warping around possible scenarios, imagining just what Yuki could possibly be thinking. Was he thinking of ways to turn her down nicely? Did he just want to be friends? Or could she possibly, just maybe, be the one he liked? She shook her head, banishing the thought as soon as it arrived. She whittled away at her hope, turning her dreams into a pile of fine dust the wind could whisk away any second. Sighing, she stared blankly at her notebook, mindlessly jotting down notes.

Yuki watched her, in what he hoped was a discreet manner, wondering what could have upset her so. Was she so appalled by the idea that he was in love with her? He gazed at her fearfully, his worries increasing as the day progressed. Tohru refused to look his way or even acknowledge him during break, and she only reluctantly sat beside him during lunch because Uo and Hana had practically shoved her there. She still wouldn't even glance in his direction as she dug through her bag for her lunch. Thinking back to the morning, Tohru suddenly cried out when she recalled her lunchbox sitting on the counter in the kitchen as she ran out.

Her three friends surrounding her instantly looked at her with alarmed expressions.

"I forgot my lunch," Tohru admitted meekly.

A wad of money poked her arm, coming from her left. Tohru didn't need to look up to see who it was from.

"Why don't you buy yourself some lunch?" Yuki offered after Tohru made no move to take the money or even to peer up at him.

Tohru vehemently shook her head in refusal, "I c-couldn't do that! I have nothing to pay you back with!"

"You don't have to-" Yuki started, only to get cut off by Uo.

"I'm sure a kiss would suffice, Tohru," Uo teased the two, puckering her lips in an exaggerated manner.

"Uo-chan!" Tohru wailed, covering her cheeks in embarrassment.

"Um… You can share with me… if you want," Yuki breathed shyly, trying to ignore what Uo had said, "I mean, you made it and all, and it wouldn't be right if you didn't eat."

"No, no! I couldn't! That's your lunch, Y-Yuki-kun!" Tohru stuttered, hardly able to even say his name coherently.

Uo was about to offer Tohru her lunch, but Hana stopped her, grasping her hand tightly as she titled her head slightly to indicate how Tohru was beginning to waver as Yuki pestered her about eating. After a couple more minutes, she finally caved in and took one of the rice balls she had made for him. She nibbled on it sadly. She had worked so hard on his lunch, making all of his favorites for Valentine's day, and here she was, eating it for him. He hadn't even started eating yet, simply watching her instead. She would know, since she too was peering at him, though through the corner of her eye.

"So, Prince, how many chocolates have you received so far?" Uo asked, trying to relieve the awkward tension in the air for Tohru's sake.

"No one has handed me any personally yet, and my locker was empty this morning. So none so far," Yuki replied.

"Actually," Hana said while pulling out her full backpack, "You received this many."

She lifted her backpack to show him all the neatly wrapped chocolates that filled her bag.

"And I ate a few already," she added.

Tohru cringed at the chocolates. They looked so nice perfectly wrapped in shiny paper and ribbons. She wondered if he'd like hers compared to those. She hadn't had time to buy decorative paper, let alone wrap her chocolates. She hadn't even had the time to mold them adequately. Hers probably looked more like lumps than delicious edible spheres. Hanging her head in shame, Tohru scolded herself for forgetting to go shopping. She wondered what she'd have to give him to convince him to try her chocolates or what she'd have to say to make him believe that she wasn't trying to poison him.

Yuki just smiled awkwardly, still a bit disappointed that he hadn't gotten chocolates from the one girl that mattered, even though he knew that he himself had forbidden her from doing so. That, however, disappeared when he glanced down at his lunch and noticed what Tohru had made him.

"Thank you, Honda-san," he smiled.

"It was my pleasure, Y-Yuki-kun!" Tohru squeaked.

He glanced endearingly at her.

"You know… I love y- the food!" he rashly corrected himself.

Tohru beamed obliviously while Uo and Hana exchanged faint smirks.

"But you haven't even tried any," Tohru pointed out meekly.

He quickly grabbed the first thing he saw in the box, bit into it, chewed, and swallowed.

"As good as it looks," he told her with a smile, making her blush.

"Hey, lovebirds, don't forget about us," Uo teased.

"W-We're n-not!" Tohru stuttered, her heart pounding wildly in her chest.

"Uh-huh, sure you're not," Uo agreed halfheartedly.

Tohru turned down to her food embarrassedly, trying to drone out her friend's teasing in vain. She hardly peeked up at her friends the whole lunch period, but the one time she did, she was glad. She noticed the most surprising thing ever. Yuki's face was turned away from her, but she could swear that his pale face was ever so slightly tinted a faint pink color. It suited him perfectly, though she couldn't imagine why he was blushing. Before she could inquire about it or before she could check for a fever, the bell rung, signaling the end of lunch. Yuki was in an unusual hurry to get back to class, quickly tossing away his trash and impatiently waiting for her.

Bewildered, she let him practically drag her back to class, following his long strides as best as she could. Uo and Hana watched with amusement from the position about ten paces behind the blushing couple ahead. They also noticed a couple of fan girls peeking at Yuki and Tohru suspiciously from behind a wall, but with a little wave of a blood stained pipe and a touch of some electric waves, the obsessive girls were sent scattering; their screams lingering long after they had vanished much to the Yankee and Goth's entertainment. Upon returning to the classroom, they weren't shocked, though a bit disappointed, to find Yuki and Tohru seated silently in their seats, faced away from each other with faint blushes across their cheeks.

Exasperated, Uo sat down beside Tohru, looking over at her friend with a frown on her face.

"Hey, Prince, the one you love is Tohru, right?"

He had just opened his mouth to respond when the door swung open, crashing into the wall loudly as Motoko ran in, holding a basket of chocolates in her arms.

"Yuuuuuuuuki!" she sang jubilantly as she skipped towards his desk, "I made these for you!"

Yuki glanced at the overflowing, shimmering basket and cringed ever so slightly before forcing his lips to curve upward as the gift was thrust into his face. Reluctantly, he accepted it, glancing around the room awkwardly. He noticed Tohru had her back to him in a stiff hunched over pose, practically shaking. She seemed so sad. He could only wonder why. It nearly broke his heart. He pondered this over until it was practically too late to even thank his gift bearer, Motoko, who was practically hyperventilating before him.

"Thanks," he finally told Motoko briefly.

As she fluttered away in a daze over accomplishing her task of giving Yuki the chocolates, Yuki peered at the basket with a disappointed gaze. The first chocolates presented to him today and not from the girl he wanted them from. He stared at them awkwardly for a moment, not sure what to do with them when Hanajima suddenly swiped the basket from his desk, giving him a stoic expression to which he responded with a grateful smile.

Meanwhile, Tohru was scribbling in her notebook with a sorrowful sigh. How could her meager chocolates compare with Motoko's refined basket full?

Her head once again found solace on top of her sprawled out arms on the desk, and Yuki's gaze was once again worriedly glued to her, and his eyes stayed focused on her, disregarding the lecture for what he deemed more important. He wished to comfort her, to question her for the reason behind her pain, and to gain vengeance for her agony, but unbeknownst to him, he himself was part of the cause. His shyness and reluctance to confess his feelings to her, along with her self doubt, had left her wallowing in a sea of sorrow. But alas, his inquiries were put off by the subsequent classes, and he couldn't even spare her a minute during his break. His fan girls had harassed him over his crush for the whole five minutes and hadn't stopped until Mayu had started the lecture.

Staring at the back of her head as she lifelessly took notes, Yuki impatiently waited for school to end, and as soon as the bell rang, he bolted up and was immediately at her side. She peered up at him with a weak smile before she began to pack her things up.

"Honda-san, what's the matter?" he gently pried.

"Matter? Nothing is wrong with me! I'm perfectly fine! Don't worry about me!" she exclaimed.

"But I _am_ worried," Yuki told her.

"Really! I am fine! Yuki-kun does not need to waste his energy over me," she smiled as reassuringly as she could.

He only responded with a dubious frown as she stood and faked another smile for him. Slinging her backpack neatly over her shoulders, she trotted out of the room with Yuki trailing closely behind her. They quietly walked out of the school together, both too shy to say anything as they headed home, minus a vocal redhead who had left without them and had basically disappeared. They had walked a whole block before Tohru summoned the guts to speak. She reached forward to tug at his sleeve to capture his attention, but cowered away a second later and tapped his shoulder hesitantly instead. He peered at her quizzically.

"Yuki-kun? I'm your friend, right?"

"Of course, Honda-san. One of my closest, if not my closest," he admitted softly.

"And you trust me?"

"With my deepest and darkest secrets," he confirmed.

"Then would you mind- er- consider- Um… Do you mind telling me who you like?" she finally inquired, her face heating up in the process.

He froze, faltering for a moment, before recomposing himself when he realized she was asking him seriously. Her intent gaze bored through him until he had to look away. Yuki couldn't help staring at the pebbles lining the street until Tohru began to regret asking such a personal question. By then, Tohru immersed herself in fretting that Yuki would hate her now for prying into his private life. Readying herself to spurt out repeated apologies, Tohru was shocked into silence when he suddenly turned to her, startling her with the most mysterious swirling gray pools filling his eyes.

"Guess," he finally replied.

"Guess?" she repeated in a stunned voice.

He nodded.

"But- But I wouldn't know where to begin!" she exclaimed.

"She's in our class, which reduces the amount to about fifteen. She's the most beautiful girl I've ever laid eyes upon, and the sweetest person that has ever crossed this earth," he told her.

"She- She sounds wonderful," Tohru breathed in jealous awe, unable to believe that she even stood a chance now.

"She is amazing," he agreed.

"Um… Is it Motoko-san?" Tohru asked.

Yuki almost fell over coughing at her first guess. Tohru jumped in alarm, frantically patting his back.

"She's not in our class," he finally mustered.

"Oh! Then it must be Minami-san! She's very pretty," Tohru mused.

Yuki shook his head, keeping his fist in front of his mouth to prevent another coughing fit. Tohru seemed dismayed for a second before eagerly piping the name of every girl in their class, but carefully avoided the name of his beloved, unaware that her own very name that rested on the tip of her tongue was the very one he was waiting to hear. They were already in the woods that led to their home when she finally got to the bottom of her list and started to repeat names. Exasperated, Yuki clenched his fists tightly, self consciously pondering what reasons she could have for avoiding offering her own name.

"You already guessed Minami-san," Yuki calmly reminded her for the second time.

"But I already guessed everyone in our class!" Tohru cried.

"You're missing one."

"I only haven't guessed myself!" Tohru wailed in frustration, unintentionally aloud.

"And the girl I'm in love with is the only one you haven't guessed yet," he hinted.

"M-Me?" she finally guessed.

He peered at her uneasily before nodding timidly. Her eyes bulged out in shock as she pointed a shaky finger at herself. Frozen, she ceased walking altogether, gaping at him in shock. Noting her pause, Yuki stopped, hesitating before he turned around. Embarrassed, he peered at her shoes for a moment, afraid of what he'd read in her expression, before lifting his gaze to her eyes. Unfortunately, he could see nothing but shock radiating off of her. He raised his eyebrows, wordlessly questioning her silence. She lowered her hand, stammering unintelligibly for a minute before she took a deep breath and steadied herself, only to lose her composure again when she saw him again.

"Me?!" she squeaked again.

"Yes."

"You love me?!" she cried.

"Yes? Is that bad?" he inquired, unsure now.

"No-NO! I-I love you too!" Tohru blurted out rashly before covering her mouth shyly.

"Really?" he queried nervously.

She nodded vehemently with tears glistening in her eyes. Her heart thumped loudly against her chest, thrashing harshly against her ribs as he stepped towards her and took both her hands in his. Clasping his hands over hers, he drew as near as he dared too. He wanted to hold her desperately. He couldn't believe how those two inches separating them could extend out for miles, yet, Tohru could feel all the blood in her body rush up to her cheeks as she felt his breath caress her skin.

"Can we be a couple then?" he asked, hesitantly placing his hand on her cheek.

"Could we?" she breathed hopefully.

"Only if you want."

"I do… I do…" she admitted with a wide smile.

He leaned over her, ready to kiss her with his hands trailing through her soft tresses when he suddenly pulled her too close and a poof sounded, and he became a small gray mouse. Tohru anxiously caught him, holding her against her chest happily. She pecked his furry head before bending over to gather his clothes. Carrying the blushing rodent, Tohru practically skipped back to the house. Once inside, she set him on the table with his clothes neatly folded beside him, stroked his head with her index finger, and hurried to the kitchen to let him transform back alone.

Although she tried to distract herself by putting away the dried dishes, she couldn't help flushing when she heard a poof and the rustle of clothes being put back on. Her blush only seemed to deepen as she found she couldn't vanquish it by the time she heard his footsteps nearing, and her situation only seemed to get worse as she heard his attempt to muffle his laughter. Hanging her head, she tried to keep her flaming cheeks less blatantly exposed, but as soon as he approached her, he wrapped his arms loosely around her waist and pressed his cheek against hers, which felt surprisingly cool against hers.

With a shy smile, he grasped her chin with the tips of his fingers, turning her face towards his gingerly. Just as he was about to press his lips against hers, she turned away abruptly in a timid manner, jerking out of his hold shyly. Noting his rejected expression, Tohru quickly peered around before remembering the chocolates. She bounced up jubilantly and threw open the refrigerator, oblivious to the fact that she nearly smacked him with the door. She pulled out the platter and presented it to him with a warm smile.

"I made you chocolates!" Tohru exclaimed.

He couldn't help smiling at the dessert but couldn't withhold the tinge of guilt in his chest.

"I thought we told you that you weren't allowed to make chocolates for everyone this year," he reminded her softly.

"I didn't! They're just for you," she breathed shyly.

"For me?"

"Yes… Because I-I wanted to tell you that I l-love you," she stuttered out with a blush.

He beamed at her, fingering a chocolate delicately.

"Try one… Please," she coaxed him hopefully.

She watched carefully as he slid one into his mouth.

"I didn't follow a recipe this time, so I don't know how they turned out. I mean I should have tasted them before, but you see I didn't have time this morning. I was almost late, and really, I _should_ have tried them before giving them to you, but it slipped my mind. I'm completely sorry-if-they-don't-taste-good. Pleasedon'tforceyourselftoeatthem-" Tohru babbled with her eyes shut in humiliation.

Her rambling was cut off when something soft was pressed against her lips. Her eyes shot open and widened further in shock when she realized that those were Yuki's lips pressed against hers. With gentle caresses across her eyelids, he cajoled her eyes shut and got her to return the kiss. When he parted, Tohru blinked as a warm smile spread across her face, matching his. Quickly, she ran her tongue across her lips, half shocked to taste chocolate. She tilted her head to the side and peered at him, cheeks inflaming as she realized what had just transpired.

"Mmm… I'm happy. The chocolates came out just right…" she laughed out of relief.

"Really? Let me try," he whispered.

He had grabbed another piece of chocolate and was about to place it in her mouth before she practically shoved him away.

"Wait! Wait!" she cried.

Baffled, he stared at her as she tore the chocolate away from him and stared at it with wide eyes. Looking up at him, she bade him closer with a gentle wave of her hand.

"See? It looks just like a little rat," she commented with a grin.

"And you know what? Right beside the rat looks like a shy little rice ball," he added.

She flushed vividly at his comment, averting his eyes as she gingerly cradled the piece of chocolate in the semblance of a rat next to a rice ball. Fidgeting in her spot, Tohru threw him a sideways glance, quickly, trying to avoid drawing his attention to no avail. Within seconds, slender fingers rested across her cheek and jaw bone. Warm as they were, she was still sure heat seeped into them from her cheeks, which now rivaled the red of the ribbons on his chocolates from his fan club. He turned her face back towards his and soon his lips covered hers again. A sweet taste filled her mouth. A taste not purely from the chocolate still coating their mouths.

Surely, they both could agree that this would be the most memorable Valentine's Day for either of them. A Valentine's day filled with more than enough scarlet faces, hugs, pink smoke, and kisses to last every Valentine's Day of eternity.

And perhaps, Yuki would thank his fan club for asking him such a question that brought him the girl he loved, even if they didn't mean to. But just maybe.

**Happy Valentine's Day/ Chinese New Year. Thank you for reading and please point out any mistakes. c:**


	4. Dandelions

Title: Dandelions

Summary: Weeds for her birthday, what more could a girl ask for?

Genre: Romance

Rated: K+

Word Count: 1,026

Today was her birthday, and Tohru couldn't be more excited.

Ever since they had started dating three years ago, Yuki had always managed to surprise her with the perfect gift, and every year, though she couldn't believe it could get any better, it somehow did. Last year, Yuki had given her a gorgeous silver necklace with a ruby and emerald strawberry pendant that she knew he couldn't afford, especially since they were college students sharing a tiny apartment and especially since he had rejected all his familial funds after graduating from high school. Though he tried to hide it from her, she was sure he had finished paying the necklace off only recently. The gifts, however, did not cause her joy. Rather, the thought and care he put into her gifts and the smile that would spread across his face would elicit a mirror expression across her own.

Nevertheless, she did not expect Yuki to come home at eight-o-clock at night with a bouquet of dandelions in his arms after leaving her alone in their apartment for four hours. He had decided to give her weeds, monstrosities that anyone could find right outside of their apartment complex, for her birthday. At first, she did not know how to react. She could only stare at her boyfriend and the weeds in his arms while gripping the door for support. Tohru had probably left him standing out in the hall with his bouquet for five minutes before she took the flowers awkwardly and stepped aside from the entrance to let him in.

Now that she had the dandelions in her arms, Tohru gazed carefully at them. An elaborate pink satin ribbon tied in a crooked bow held them together, and she smiled because she knew he had put all his effort into tying the ribbon for her. Still, she couldn't help assuming he had forgotten about her birthday and had literally run outside to grab something off the ground for her. Who could blame him though? An ever diligent boyfriend couldn't be perfect all the time, and it was finals week after all. A disappointed expression must have still haunted her face, regardless, for it didn't take long for his fingers to graze her face in concern, turning her gaze towards him.

"What's wrong? You don't like them?" he asked in a soft voice.

"No-no! I do like them! Really!" she tried to assure him in vain.

A wry smile crossed his face as he remarked, "You're an awful liar."

She tried to deny his accusations but he pressed his finger to her lips to silence her. Peering up at him with concerned eyes, she was shocked to find his eyes twinkling back at hers in amusement rather than boring through her with offense. He acted as if he expected this very reaction from her. She, however, no matter how hard she tried, could not comprehend his actions. Despite how clearly she thought she portrayed her confusion and desire for an explanation, he seemed to withhold for a moment, but he decided to surrender his secret quickly after.

"You see, dandelions are the most resilient plants I have ever encountered, and such strength reminded me of us and our relationship. I want us to be like dandelions that have the strength to break through cement and thrive, though you wonder whether they even have access to water there. I want us to be dandelions with roots that stretch so far down into the ground that no human can unearth their foundations. I'd rather not associate our relationship with roses and such that wither by the end of the week. I don't want us to be like flowers that require fertilizers and constant attention only to live another day. We're the type of flower that persists even though we get trampled on and sprayed with poisons because Tohru, I believe, being dandelions is an honor, just as it has been an honor being with you," he explained with a gentle, loving expression.

Tohru couldn't help smiling and planting a kiss on his check after that.

"But did it really take you four hours to pluck dandelions from the front of the building?" she queried.

"If I had gotten them from the complex, it probably wouldn't have taken that long. But I got them from our secret base, so yes it did."

"Our secret base? Back at Shigure-san's house? But that's a two hour train ride away! Why did you go that far when there are dandelions here?"

"Because those here are contaminated with fumes and the like, and the only dandelion with an undamaged seed head I could find was back at our secret base, which by the way is overrun with weeds now. They are the only plants that aren't wilted I might add."

For the first time, Tohru noticed the fuzzy gray head without a single seed missing amongst the sea of yellow petals in the bouquet, and she grinned. Perhaps, this truly was the gift he had put the most thought and effort into, despite her initial beliefs. She didn't think anyone could concern himself over weeds as much as Yuki did today, but thanks to his care, Tohru could begin to see the beauty in these common plants that everyone overlooks and deems as atrocities. Not until now did she notice how the velvet yellow petals rivaled roses in texture or how the thin sunny petals fanned out like ruffled feathers. Dandelions must resent their status as slighted treasures, though their gold coloring suggested that nature knew their true glory, and now, Tohru knew too.

Suddenly, Yuki grasped her hand and tugged her towards the window, sliding it open with his free hand.

"Make a wish, Tohru," he urged.

She laughed, closing her eyes for a moment to make her wish before leaning out the window and blowing every last seed out into the wind. As she leaned against Yuki's chest and watched the tiny seedlings soar across the city, blanketing the sky with their white wings, Tohru beamed and could only hope that Yuki was right and that their relationship truly was a dandelion.


	5. Diamonds

Title: Diamonds

Summary: While contemplating diamonds and dandelions with Tohru on their weedy front lawn, Yuki decides to ask her a very important question.

Genre: Romance

Rating: K+

Word Count: 1,052

Companion to "Dandelions"

Not necessary to read "Dandelions" before but it's the chapter prior.

Tohru snuggled against Yuki's chest, resting her head against his outstretched arm as she watched the sun sink in the sky, leaving their dandelion-covered lawn basking in a dimming golden glow. They had bought a small house a few months prior after graduating from college, and the first thing they did after they moved in was blow dandelion seeds all over the once clear, green lawn. Nothing brought a grin to her face, besides racing through the yard with him and sending a shower of dandelion seeds across the sky, like lying on their weedy front yard together as the sun set. She loved the soft caress of dandelion petals, the gentle brush of the grass shards, and the warmth of Yuki's arm wrapped around her waist as the night air cooled.

"You know what else reminds me of dandelions?" Yuki inquired suddenly.

"What? Us?" Tohru guessed, supplying his usual answer.

"Well yes, but I was thinking about diamonds. I think that they may be the only things stronger than dandelions, with the exception of us, of course. I mean, each carbon atom is attached to four other carbon atoms in a tetrahedral shape in a complex lattice. Nothing other than another diamond can even break those network covalent bonds," he seemed to ramble as he released her from his grasp.

"Yuki-kun, you know I didn't do very well in chemistry with all those bonds and arrangements. What are you trying to say?"

She shoved herself up to rest on her elbow to peer up at him quizzically and found him propped up on one knee with an open, black, velvet box in his hand. A gold band with a large diamond in the center, surrounded by several tiny ones in a design that reminded her of the yellow weeds adorning her yard, glimmered from the satin cushion that served as its throne. With wide eyes, she stared at the glistening gem and then gawked at her boyfriend. Yet another gift he couldn't afford with the new house and loan payments due, but she couldn't worry about the price for much longer when he removed the ring from the box and presented the jewel, reflecting faint rainbows from the last rays of the fading sun off of smooth facets, to her.

"I'm saying that I want you to marry me. Tohru Honda, ever since I first laid eyes upon you, I knew I had stumbled upon a treasure, a diamond. With your purity, innocence, and kindness, you've helped transform me from something worthless that's undeserving of your love into something that can almost deserve you. You've turned coal into diamond with your warmth. With this, I pray that you can see how I cherish you and how I will continue to do so forever if you'll marry me. I know we don't have much, but we have each other, and I know that together, our bond rivals the strength of diamonds. I don't doubt that we'll be together as long as dandelions roam the earth and that like diamonds, the only thing that can sever our bond is ourselves, but I refuse to ever let that happen, so Honda-san, will you marry me?"

By the time he finished, her own clear crystals were trickling down her face. She could only nod as she choked on her own tears. As soon as he slipped the ring on her finger, she leapt on him, knocking him back down onto their dandelion-coated lawn, and pressed her lips against his. While they rolled around on the weeds and grass, sharing tight embraces and passion filled kisses, Tohru reveled in the cool clasp the band had around her finger and Yuki relished the feel of the ring pressed against his back. When they finally broke apart and gazed each other, they both laughed at the dandelion seeds that clung to their hair and clothes.

"You know my birthday wish came true from a couple of years ago," Tohru told him, interrupting the silence.

"Oh?"

"Yes, you finally decided to propose," she beamed brightly.

"And you actually accepted."

As he lay still in the grass, holding her near, Tohru noticed that the stars had decided to peep out from the sky's dark blanket, and she wondered who needed shooting stars or wishing wells when she had dandelion puffs. Laying her hand across his chest, Tohru admired her new adornment with a grin while Yuki noted that her other hand seemed lonely. Reaching forward, he plucked a yellow dandelion from the lawn and wrapped the flower around her right ring finger. He knotted the green stem and adjusted the floral band with a smile, centering the blossom on her hand. Smiling, Tohru stretched both hands in front of her.

"Which do you prefer?" he asked, gesturing to her two rings.

"I don't know. Which do you think will last longer?"

"I guess we'll see, won't we?"

"Yes. We have all of eternity together to see."

He nodded in agreement, finding the corners of his mouth curving upwards as he planted a ginger kiss on top of her head. Yuki pulled his love closer to him, partially surprised that such an action was even possible, and felt his heart race with euphoria as she leaned into his touch. With a faint red tinge to his cheeks, he wondered idly whether her hand peacefully sitting on his chest could feel the erratic fluttering of his heart while Tohru flushed and hoped that he couldn't feel the twisting and quenching of her stomach pressed against his side or the warmth radiating off her flushed skin.

Next spring, Tohru found herself grinning in a flowing, white, silk dress clutching a bouquet of dandelions in her hands as she walked down the aisle towards where Yuki stood at the altar. The dandelion in the buttonhole of the lapel on his tuxedo matched the vines of entwined dandelion blossoms laced through the arc with goldenrod ribbons above the altar and the aureate bridesmaids' dresses. When the ceremony concluded and Yuki and Tohru exited hand in hand, billows of dandelion puffs cascaded across the sky, rather than a shower of rice, to wish them a happy future, and they both knew that with the blessing of diamonds and dandelions, they'd enjoy the rest of forever together.


	6. A Surprise that Calls for Murder

Title: A Surprise that Calls for Murder

Summary: Yuki receives a strange call from Tohru and discovers that she has been kidnapped by someone they both knew and trusted.

Genre: Suspense/ Romance

Rating: T

Word Count: 1,999

Yuki gathered the papers scattered across his desk, trying to pile them together in an orderly fashion but failing miserably. With a sigh, he shoved the crumpled stack in his backpack and slung the bag over his shoulder. He took one quick glance around his dormitory to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything before he flicked the light switch off and locked the door behind him. It was finally Friday, and now he could leave his university and return to the apartment he shared with Tohru, his new fiancée, for the weekend. Tohru had opted out of college in favor of working, so they had decided to share a home by the restaurant she worked at for her convenience. They only got to see each other two days a week, but neither particularly minded since the weekends were completely devoted to one another.

Hurriedly, he slipped into the silver car he owned, eager to return home to Tohru. He still had an hour-long drive until he arrived at their apartment. Yuki carelessly tossed his belongings in the backseat and halfheartedly glanced around him before starting the car and reversing out of the parking space. He was speeding down the highway when his phone rang. If anyone else had called him at the moment, he wouldn't have bothered to pick up, but since the blazing screen spelled out Tohru's name, Yuki couldn't resist answering it with a wide smile.

"Hello, Tohru," he greeted happily.

"Yuki-kun, I have a favor to ask of you," Tohru admitted in a remorseful tone.

"Anything. What is it?" he inquired.

"My car broke down, and I was wondering if you could pick me up. I'm ten minutes away from your university downtown," she informed him.

"Of course, but why are you there?"

"Shigure-san asked me to pick something up for him after work."

Yuki growled under his breath and vowed to kill Shigure the next time he saw him. Yuki had lost count of how many times he had patiently asked Shigure not to treat Tohru like a maid, so now he refused to be lenient any longer. He'd give Shigure a bonus with whatever he asked Tohru to deliver, and by that, of course, he meant a fist in the face. If Shigure would do anything by himself, Tohru wouldn't be trapped on the road at night, where prowlers probably lurked, waiting for a gullible woman to kidnap, like Tohru. He sped up, making an abrupt turn to head back to the city where Tohru awaited him, which laid in the opposite direction of their home.

"Tohru, do me a favor in return and stay in the car until I get there, all right? Lock the doors, please. And don't hang up," Yuki requested worriedly.

"O-Okay," she agreed.

Hearing the distress in her voice, he sought to distract her, asking, "How was your day?"

"Good. I received my paycheck today with a bonus because some customers have been requesting that I cook their meals! Can you believe- Oh no! Is that Kyo-kun? He looks hurt!" Tohru cried with a concerned gasp.

"Wait! Tohru, don't leave the car! The stupid cat can fend for himself!" Yuki shouted in vain.

His cries rang out seconds too late. He could hear the thud of the phone echo as it landed somewhere and the crack of the door swinging open. Tohru's footsteps faded quickly into the distance. His heart stopped when he heard a shrill scream. Gritting his teeth together apprehensively, he strained to hear muffled slaps and scraps, the remnants of a struggle. Yuki muttered a string of profanities and gripped the steering wheel with a grasp that turned his knuckles white as he drove at a pace double the actual speed limit. Yuki didn't pray often, but he prayed with all his might now as he stomped on the accelerator, ignoring the red stoplight he had just flown past.

Within minutes, he neared the street Tohru should have been on, and his car screeched to an abrupt stop when he spotted her car parked on the side of the road. Yuki rushed out of his vehicle, ignoring how he had left it in the middle of the road and went to examine Tohru's abandoned car. He couldn't spot any sign of her or Kyo at all. She hadn't even bothered to shut her door in haste, so the yellow glow of the lights in her car cast an ominous tinge to the street. Her cell phone sat on the asphalt, still connected to his. Picking it up, he noticed her keys sprawled on the ground four feet away and one brown sneaker. He could recognize Tohru's work shoes anywhere. Glaring down the narrow street, he jumped back into his car after gathering all of Tohru's discarded possessions and resumed his high speed chase. He could make out the faint gleam of headlights in the distance. Targeting the growing white specks of light down the road, Yuki raced towards his prey, surprised the old car he had bought on sale could even go this fast.

It took him just under five minutes before he was tailing the black vehicle ahead. On closer inspection, he could see a mop of bright orange hair in the back along with two legs tied together with thick, tan rope propped awkwardly near Kyo's head. The missing brown shoe encased one foot while a plain white sock covered the other. Yuki vaguely caught a glimpse of black hair in the driver's seat before the car sped up, leaving him behind. Cursing his old car, Yuki tried his best to keep up while he contemplated his options. If the kidnappers could kidnap Kyo, he should be prepared. He peered around his car in search of possible weapons. He had plenty of sharp papers in his bag, albeit tattered and bent, three thick and heavy textbooks, one spare shoe, and old take-out boxes.

Groaning to himself, Yuki wondered where all his care and cunning had drifted off to. First he had sacrificed any element of surprise with his maniac driving, and then he had to be ill-prepared for such a situation. At this rate, his pursuit would probably only endanger Tohru more. All he had managed to do was anger her kidnappers. He grimaced to himself as he pulled open his glove department, pleased to find an ice scrapper inside. That'd do. After he pulled it out, he turned his full attention back to the road, dismayed to find the ebony car at the end of the road. The vehicle soon disappeared around the corner of a turn while Yuki urged his moaning car to speed up.

For another half hour, Yuki tracked the black car, blowing past several cities and driving into what seemed like the countryside. The forest surrounding him gave off a familiar aura, but he didn't have time to figure out why as he trampled over someone's poor vegetable garden. Ripe tomatoes splattered across his windshield, trailing their red intestines and blood all over the glass as broken heads of lettuce bounced off of his headlights. Stalks of leeks clung to his windows as he attempted to clear as much tomato juice off as he could with his wipers. Yuki scowled, trying to avoid running into trees. He had lost sight of the road long ago in his frantic hunt.

He smirked when the black car slowed to a stop in front of an old-fashioned house. As of now, Yuki did not know the meaning of mercy. Soon enough, whoever those kidnappers were, they'd learn to fear ice scrappers. He'd show them ten forms of torture with the simple tool, and presently, they'd be begging for their lives. He wondered how sharp the blade was, but regardless of how dull it may be, Yuki would make it pierce flesh. He'd-

Yuki slammed on the brakes when all of a sudden, the dark house blared to life. A bunch of lights blinded him as people seemed to jump out of nowhere and yelled, "SURPRISE!"

As his eyes adjusted to the bright lighting, Yuki identified the people as his large family and the towering object in their hands as a three-layered birthday cake. For a minute, he could only sit in his car, frozen with shock and confusion, but gradually a cold, venomous smile crept onto his face. Slowly, he climbed out of the car and stiffly walked over to them with his hands still clenched into fists. He watched as Shigure stepped out of the driver's seat and opened the backdoor of the black vehicle Yuki had been chasing for the past hour, pulling out a tied up Tohru. Immediately, Yuki turned to her, untying the ropes on her and holding her against him protectively. Tohru flushed beside him, clearly stunned.

"So this was all a set up. You kidnapped Tohru to get me to come to a surprise birthday party," Yuki guessed.

"Of course, little brother. Would you have it any other way? A suspenseful abduction of the princess to lure the prince in," Ayame chuckled to himself.

"Did you know about this, Tohru?" Yuki asked the girl beside him.

"Um… I helped them set up the party earlier and made all the food, but then Shigure-san told me that I should go downtown and pretend to pick something up for him so that I could ask you to pick me up and bring you here, but I didn't know they were going to pretend to kidnap me!" Tohru exclaimed honestly.

"You all scared Tohru half to death just to surprise me?" Yuki demanded the group before him, "Not to mention you made me run over my secret base?"

"Your love nest?" Ayame queried with a knowing glint to his golden eyes.

After punching his brother, Yuki mentally mourned the loss of his old garden. He and Tohru had started a new one in pots on the balcony of their apartment, so perhaps he could forgive them for that, but the petite brunette glued to his side still appeared shaken by the experience, despite the smile she tried to keep across her face. He could feel her trembling against him and the rapid palpitations of her heart. This he could never forgive them for, even if they were family. They'd die by his hands. He'd make Tohru's experience seem like a trip to the spa after he was through with them. Shigure and Ayame, however, didn't seem to notice the vein throbbing in Yuki's forehead and the ire radiating off of him in the form of heat waves.

"She was only scared for a little. We couldn't possibly tell Tohru of her plans. She's hardly a good actress, no offense, Tohru-kun," Shigure explained.

"I think you should call the police, Shigure," Yuki warned.

"But Yuki, we just told you. I was the one who kidnapped Tohru. She's fine!" Shigure continued, waving his hand nonchalantly.

"She's not the one who's going to be needing the police. They won't be investigating a kidnapping but rather the murders of a certain dog and snake," Yuki informed them with a pleasant smile still across his face.

"W-Wait, Yuki-kun! Before you do that, don't you want to know what we got you for your birthday?" Shigure asked, backing away fearfully.

For the first time, Yuki noticed the bow atop Tohru's head with a tag that stated that Tohru was a gift to him from his beloved brother and favorite cousin. Tohru blinked obliviously at him before smiling at him and standing on the tips of her toes and planting a kiss on his cheek. Somehow, her simple gesture dispelled all the anger residing in him, gathering all the blaze of his fury in his cheeks, where it transformed into a faint blush to match hers. With a grin, she even managed to ease his fingers out of fists and made his lips curve upwards.

"Happy Birthday, Yuki-kun."

He'd spare their lives. For now that is.


	7. Lab Rats

Title: Lab Rats

Summary: Yuki gets mixed up in a group of lab rats brought in for a class experiment, and it's up to Tohru to save him.

Genre: Romance/ Friendship

Rating: K+

Word Count: 2,601

Yuki and Tohru were walking back to class from gym class when they found themselves in their current predicament. As usual, trying to avoid running into any members of the opposite sex, Yuki walked huddled by the wall with Tohru guarding his other side. Alarmed when she noticed a line of girls the width of the hall nearing, Tohru stepped closer to Yuki, expecting him to press himself more tightly against the wall, but apparently he hadn't noticed the row of girls because the next thing she knew, their torsos met and a cloud of smoke burst as Yuki transformed into a rat. Tohru gasped, catching the rat as she stumbled into the nearest room to hide.

"Honda-san! Is that a rat in your arms?"

Tohru jumped and whirled around to see her teacher pointing at Yuki with wide eyes like those of a lioness about to pounce on her prey.

"Thank goodness! One of the lab rats just escaped. Thank you for finding him!" Mayu exclaimed joyously before Tohru could even speak.

Realizing she had walked into her own classroom, Tohru panicked further, unsure of how to deny Mayu with a furry Yuki in broad daylight with no where to hide him. Frantically, Tohru whipped her head around the room, but she was trapped. Entering students blocked her exit, and Mayu didn't even wait for her affirmation before she rushed over and tried to grab Yuki from her. Tohru backed up against the wall and clutched Yuki closer to her chest, trying to cover his tiny body with her arms. Yuki shied away from Mayu's hands, burying himself in the folds of Tohru's arms. Mayu eyed Yuki oddly as he continued trying to resist capture while Tohru laughed awkwardly, unsure of how to act as more students filtered in, tossing her strange looks or a shocked glare in Kyo's case.

"I guess you can keep him for now since you'll need a rat for the class experiment anyways," Mayu acquiesced, giving up on retrieving Yuki from Tohru.

Tohru nodded gratefully and bowed before tottering to her seat, embracing Yuki tightly to keep him from transforming back before the class. She snuck Yuki an apologetic look as Mayu explained the class assignment. In pairs, they were to train a rat to run through a maze with a rat, a wooden labyrinth, and a couple blocks of cheese as their only equipment to test their retention of yesterday's psychology lecture. Tohru glanced nervously at the empty seat next to her, where her partner should have been seated and then down at the violet eyed rat that seemed deep in thought in her arms.

"Has anyone seen Yuki Sohma?" Mayu asked suddenly, noting his empty seat.

A silence settled through the class of curious students that made Tohru anxious while she hugged said missing student tighter in her arms. He nudged her gently with his fuzzy head, praying she'd get his tacit plea to make up an excuse for him. It was bad enough that his uniform, discarded on the ground outside of the classroom, laid out for anyone to steal and question. He just hoped no one suspected the outfit to be his since he'd probably never get it back due to his obsessive fan club, and then he'd need some creative excuse to explain why he supposedly ditched class to strip in the hallway. Until he regained his human form, however, he'd have to depend on Tohru to cover for him.

"Ah! Um! S-Sohma-kun wasn't feeling well, so he left after gym!" Tohru announced with as much confidence as she could muster to cover her poor lying skills.

Thankfully, everyone seemed to believe her as worried murmurs raked through the class.

"Honda-san, do you mind working alone then?" Mayu inquired.

Tohru shook her head since she technically wouldn't be alone.

"All right then, you may all begin! First group to finish gets extra credit! Don't forget what you learned about operant conditioning!"

Lifting Yuki's tiny body towards her face, Tohru whispered to him, "I'm so sorry, Yuki-kun. Please forgive me."

Yuki tried his best to smile in his rodent form, not daring to speak lest someone overhear him. Taking her continued distressed expression as a sign that he failed to convey his reassuring message to her, Yuki leaned towards her, placing his paws on her face and pressing his nose against her cheek in what he hoped to be an affectionate manner. Noticing a blush begin to spread across her cheeks, he decided that the gist of his sentiments had made it through to her and settled back down into her arms, secretly reveling in the warmth of her embrace, though he'd never admit that to anyone.

"Jeez, Tohru. That rat sure seems to like you," Uo commented with a smirk

Embarrassed, Tohru tried to deny her claims, "No, no! He's just being friendly!"

"Aww… There's no need to get so worked up. It's not like the prince is here to get jealous!" Uo assured her friend.

Watching Tohru's cheeks darken further, Yuki was sure his face would mirror hers if he had no gray fur to conceal his embarrassment. Tohru found herself unable to meet the purple eyes of the rat in her hands, so she placed him at the entrance of the maze Mayu had just set on her desk. Concerned about transforming back, Yuki scurried through the narrow halls of the maze as quickly as his greatly shortened limbs could carry him while striving to act like a natural rat. He sniffed at the walls periodically as he navigated through the maze. Within two and a half minutes, he sat up at the end, climbing to his hind paws in attempt to signal to Tohru to pick him back up but before she could, Mayu returned, gawking at him with the box of cheese in her hands.

"Honda-san, how did you get your rat to the end of the maze without any reward?" Mayu questioned in shock.

"Um… I… Uh… I-I don't know!" Tohru finally supplied.

"Well, I guess since I didn't specify how you were to get the rat to the end, you deserve the extra credit."

"B-But I didn't do anything!" Tohru protested guiltily.

"Well I suppose you could try it again."

Tohru nodded, and this time, Yuki waited for Tohru to place a cube of cheddar at the end of the maze and carry him back to the start with a quick embrace before he hurried to the end again, attempting to improve his impersonation of a real rodent. This time he made sure to hesitate at a few of the dead ends and sniff the floor like a maniac mouse for the treat at the other end before he leapt to the end and grabbed the block of cheese, nibbling at it happily. Glancing back at Tohru for approval, he found her standing beside Mayu, clapping her hands ecstatically with a grin pasted across her face, and he felt his heart flutter.

"Congratulations, Honda-san. Your rat seems to enjoy mazes," Mayu stated with a smile as she wrote something down on her clipboard.

After Yuki finished the cheese block, Tohru scooped him back up in her hands and hugged him. Tohru peered down at him with her eyebrows furrowed in shame, and Yuki stared back, confused and wondering whether her prior happiness had just been an act to fool the teacher or not. She figured he had wished to complete the maze rapidly as to avoid an accidental return to his human form, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she had cheated. Spotting her forlorn expression deepen, Yuki nuzzled against her, trying to cheer the girl. He hugged her to the best of his ability with his scrawny inch long arms and managed to elicit a laugh from her, mostly due to how his whiskers brushed against her neck and tickled her mercilessly.

"That rat really loves you. As much as the prince does, I bet," Uo remarked, watching them rather than the white rat trying to leap over the maze on her desk.

"Yuki-kun does not like me!" Tohru exclaimed to her friend, humiliated, but her friends hardly seemed to listen.

"Funny that you should say that, Arisa. The waves of that rat are the same as Yuki Sohma's," Hana commented with her dark eyes boring into Yuki's.

"Hey! That rat has the same eyes as the prince too! I've never seen anyone else with purple eyes. How strange," Uo continued, intrigued by their discoveries.

Tohru shifted anxiously as Yuki burrowed his face in the crook of Tohru's arm, trying to hide his face in vain. Luckily for them, the escape of Uo and Hana's rat distracted them for the rest of the period. Tohru let out a sigh of relief and gave Yuki another piece of cheese, remembering how little he had eaten at lunch. After she had fed him all their rations of cheese, Tohru snuck a peek at the clock, startled at how little time they had before school let out. She began to wonder how she could sneak Yuki out when Mayu began calling people to return their rats. Lifting her backpack to see if she could squeeze him in there, Tohru frowned and quickly declined that option when she noticed the heavy books in there that might crush him. As the minute hand slid faster and faster towards the top, Tohru fiddled with the hem of her blouse, weighing her options until her desperation offset her humiliation.

"Sorry, Yuki-kun, but please hang on until I take you out, okay?" Tohru murmured to him.

After scanning the room cautiously to make sure no one was looking, she slipped him under her shirt and tucked the hem in to create a little hammock of sorts for him to sit on before Mayu got to her. Tohru flushed at her boldness. She really should have gotten his consent before shoving him under her top, but she couldn't risk wasting time and getting caught trying to sneak him out. Perhaps he'd forgive her later. Meanwhile, forgiveness was the furthest topic from Yuki's mind. Hidden beneath her school uniform, Yuki's skin darkened at the sight of bare flesh that he had never seen before- although he'd be lying if he said he hadn't dreamt of said flesh before- and a lacy undergarment above his head.

Spotting Tohru's empty arms, Mayu questioned, "Honda-san? Where did your rat go?"

"Ah! He ran away again!" Tohru feebly lied, unable to meet her eyes.

"Oh no…" Mayu muttered, frantically scanning the room as she left to secure the rest of the rats before she lost another.

Hana and Uo glanced over at Tohru, eyeing the bulge on her stomach knowingly, but said nothing, simply helping her exit once the bell dismissed them. Tohru walked with one arm on her abdomen to support Yuki, trying not to let him fall out yet attempting to avoid crushing or suffocating him. All the while, she bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing each time his fur or whiskers grazed her stomach. Nevertheless, Uo and Hana still had suspicious looks on their faces, especially when the door slid open, and the original rat scampered back inside the room and Mayu pounced on the small rodent. Tohru hardly had time for a second of solace before the interrogation from her friends began.

"Tohru, whose rat is that?" Uo asked, gesturing to her stomach.

"Um… Mine?" she started hesitantly before gaining confidence, "Yes! He's mine!"

"You had your rat with you all day?" Uo continued skeptically.

"No! He- um… He found me! He likes to follow me around sometimes!" Tohru answered.

Her friends almost seemed to believe her, but then Kyo burst out of the classroom and grabbed her shoulder, spinning her around.

"Where's the damn rat?" Kyo suddenly interrupted.

Tohru stuttered embarrassedly, averting his angered scrutiny, but gestured to her midriff honestly. Kyo's threatening glare slowly softened into incomprehension before it twisted back into disgust and horror. He extended a shaky pointer finger towards the lump on Tohru's stomach. His jaw dropped as the protrusion off of Tohru's body stirred, confirming what she had tacitly revealed to him. As his left eye began to twitch in fury, Kyo thrust his hand forward to yank the rodent out and strangle him to death, but before his fingertips could even brush against Tohru, Uo practically tackled him to the ground, restraining him with both her hands.

"That pervert! I'll kill him!" Kyo hollered, thrashing about violently.

"He's a rat. Calm down, Orangey," Uo choked out as she wrestled with the struggling boy.

"Yes, do be careful before you accidentally hurt Tohru-kun," Hana added ominously.

While they were distracted, Tohru took the opportunity to slip into the boy's locker room. Nervously, she shut the door behind her and glanced around, checking for any lingering boys. Relieved when she found none, Tohru reached under her shirt and gently slid him out but she soon panicked when she discovered the rat hardly breathing. Tohru choked back screams as she ran about in circles around the lockers, wondering if she could resuscitate a rat as a human. Cradling him in her palms by her face, Tohru managed to make Yuki sputter back to life, but that situation hardly seemed better since he felt unusually warm in her hands and suffered from a coughing fit. She stroked his soft fur in apology before she hesitantly left him on a bench after he quieted down.

"I'll be back. I have to get your clothes," she told him.

After tossing another fretful glance at the slightly red mouse behind her, she exited carefully and snuck back to the classroom, grabbing the discarded uniform off of the hallway floor hurriedly. When she reached the locker room again, however, she nearly bumped into a human again Yuki, who was thankfully dressed in his gym uniform, almost transforming him again. Tohru peered up at him quizzically, wordlessly questioning his clothing choice as he gently towed her away from the double doors.

"Sorry, I didn't think the male athletes would let you return so I came out to meet you," he explained.

"I see," she replied shyly.

He stared at her for a moment before he added, "Thank you, Honda-san. For everything."

She timidly nodded, awkwardly clutching his uniform in her hands before thrusting the articles of clothing at him. He smiled and took his clothes, but not before leaning over and kissing her on the cheek, to which she flushed and froze where she stood beside the entrance to the boy's locker room. The pink stain across her cheeks readily began creeping down her neck, and Tohru could only gape at him in utter shock, unable to believe what had just transpired. One hand slowly flew to her cheek, covering the burning flesh with a mix of incredulity and sheer bliss. Yuki, who had continued walking obliviously, stopped and turned around, suddenly noticing her disappearance from his side.

Gauging her scarlet face with an amused upturn of the edges of his lips, he commented, "I apologize if that was too bold of me, but you didn't seem to mind earlier when I was a rat."

Recalling his prior caresses, Tohru could only turn her face downward to hide the growing ruby stain. Her reaction fed the tiny pool of hope lying in the pits of his heart, and he beamed at the scarlet girl who teetered after him.

For a brief moment, he seemed grateful that he came from a cursed family.

**I edited while pissed, so please catch those typos for me. c:**


	8. Reverse Psychology

Title: Reverse Psychology

Summary: Uo explains to seven-year-old Emi, Yuki and Tohru's daughter, how she used reverse psychology to set Yuki and Tohru up ten years ago.

Genre: Romance/ Family

Rated: T (For Uo's language)

Word Count: 2,201

**Not related to The Result. I just like the name "Emi." **

Uo sat on the couch in Tohru and Yuki's living room with their seven-year-old daughter, Emi. She had come over with Hana this morning to help Tohru watch her two children since Tohru was now nearing her ninth month of pregnancy and Yuki had reluctantly left the city a few days ago on a business trip. Tonight, Yuki would return, so Tohru had decided to prepare a large feast to welcome him back and to thank her friends for all their help while her husband was away. While Tohru scurried around the kitchen to prepare the entrees and Hana kneeled in the upstairs bathroom trying to get Tohru and Yuki's three-year-old son to take his bath quietly, Uo idly flipped through the channels on the television, seeking child appropriate material as Emi impatiently swung her legs back and forth.

"Tohru, would you please _not_ get me another drink?" Uo called towards the kitchen after she gave up on the television and turned it off.

"Of course!" Tohru chirped happily.

Tohru walked over with a glass full of water and a bowl of sliced apples, setting the former before her best friend and the latter into the awaiting arms of her daughter. Before waddling back to kitchen, Tohru leaned towards Emi, fixing a crooked pigtail and kissing her on her forehead lovingly. Emi watched as her mother awkwardly stepped away and tried to straighten her pink apron that didn't quite fit over her large, rounded abdomen. Perplexed, she tilted her head to the side and fixated her gaze back on her blonde aunt who held the cup to her lips. Noticing Emi's curious look out of the corner of her eye, Uo raised a thin eyebrow questioningly.

"Auntie Uo-chan, why do you say you don't want something to Mommy when you want something?" Emi inquired quizzically.

In response, Uo could only smile, pulling Emi onto her lap as she started, "Let me tell you a story about how your mommy and daddy met almost ten years ago…"

-Ten Years Ago-

Tohru and her friends were sitting in a café together, drinking tea at a table next to the window in the corner of the building, when the bell hanging above the entrance chimed, alerting them of the man that had just walked in. Uo and Hana wouldn't have bothered to turn around and examine the new occupant of the café had Tohru, who sat in the chair across from her friends that faced the door, not gasped and stared in shock. With near disapproving gazes, they scrutinized the silver haired male and then their blushing friend, who tried to hid behind her tiny teacup. Tohru shifted uncomfortably in her seat, failing at breaking the awkward silence that had settled among them, which grew exponentially when they all noticed that he had left the counter with a cup of coffee and had claimed the table in front of them.

Flipping through his newspaper, he didn't seem to notice them at all, which relieved and disappointed Tohru at the same time.

At this point, Uo decided to get up and walked over to his table with her hand resting angrily on her hip. Since he didn't notice her presence at first, Uo reached forward and ripped the newspaper out of his hands. To this, he turned towards her, giving her a strange look that soon faded into faint recognition. He lowered in head in a polite greeting, but Uo didn't bother to conceal her scowl as she muttered something Tohru couldn't quite make out. Tohru could get the gist of the message, however, when Uo jutted her finger towards the stools by the counter at the opposite end of the café. The brunette frowned when he obeyed and left with his paper and coffee, but Uo returned to her seat with a satisfied smile.

"What did you do that for, Uo-chan? Did you really have to make him move?" Tohru asked, appalled by her friend's actions.

"What does it matter, Tohru? It's not like you like him, do you?"

"H-How can I? This is the first time I've ever seen him! I couldn't possibly have a c-crush so soon!" Tohru denied vehemently.

"Good. Well, his name is Yuki Sohma, and he's Kyo's, my ex-boyfriend's, damned cousin. I've met him on a few occasions when I went to Kyo's house, and you know what? He's a scumbag, Tohru. Really. The lowest kind ever! Not to mention revolting. Don't be fooled by those prince-like features of his! He's a plain, disgusting jerk. Avoid him at all costs, Tohru," Uo warned her friend seriously.

"Uo-chan, how well do you even know him? He seems perfectly nice!" Tohru argued.

"He's a Sohma, Tohru. How can he be anything but a rat? Remember Kyo and his anger management issues?"

Tohru could only stare at her friend in utter shock and disbelief. Her friends had encouraged her to take an interest in the opposite sex since their first year in high school, but now Uo only seemed capable of criticizing the first man that made her heart flutter with palpitations. Taking another glance up at the young man that couldn't be more than a couple of years older than she was, Tohru couldn't help doubting Uo's claims about him. After watching him accidentally knock over his cup of coffee as he turned the page of his newspaper, she had to bite her bottom lip to hold back giggles as he frantically dropped the paper and grabbed a wad of napkins from the metal dispenser beside him to wipe the growing puddle. It shouldn't have shocked her when she found herself defending him, but it did anyways.

"You can't just judge people like that, Uo-chan. You and Kyo-kun are still friends! And besides, Kureno-san is a Sohma too. Not all Sohmas are alike, and they have such a large family that a common surname may not even mean much. I'm sure he's really kind," Tohru asserted.

"Like hell. I bet he's the type that dates a girl for a week and then dumps her ass without a second thought for no reason other than he wants to spread his seed. With his looks, I bet he can even get away with it. What a lowlife."

"Uo-chan, you don't know that. He might be in a perfect, committing relationship with a woman he loves for all you know!"

"He isn't. I asked him before. He's single, which means he's probably leaving himself open to play the field. I don't even understand what other women see in him. He's hardly attractive. I mean, what kind of hairstyle is that anyways? His barber couldn't even cut straight. And silver hair? What? Is he trying to look like a lame geezer?" Uo scoffed.

"I think he's very a-attractive," Tohru admitted meekly, averting her gaze from her friends.

"Oh my," Hana interjected, almost letting a hint of surprise break through her otherwise stoic demeanor.

"Seriously? Please, tell me what you find so _attractive_ about this guy. Enlighten me," Uo requested in an almost mocking tone.

"Well… I think his silver hair contrasts with his pale skin quite nicely, and he doesn't look old at all, Uo-chan! He also has the most beautiful violet eyes I've ever seen…" Tohru trailed off.

Staring off into the distance, Tohru caught herself staring at the back of this Yuki Sohma, and as if he could feel her eyes boring into him, he turned around, meeting her gaze. For a minute, all he seemed to do was blink at her, and she couldn't decide whether to take his nonchalance negatively or to bask in his attention before he flashed her a warm smile that made her heart skip a beat and left a red tint to her cheeks that lasted well after he had turned back to his coffee-stained paper. Uo had to snap her fingers in front of her friend's face several times before Tohru flinched and glanced at her with a humiliated expression. Once she had her attention again, Uo shook her head with a frown, turning to Hana for support, but the black haired woman ignored the gesture.

"Tohru, don't go off falling in love with this guy. He'll just break your heart. Don't talk to him. Don't even look his way. Don't give this jerk the chance to hurt you, please," Uo pled in vain.

Frustrated with her friend's tenacity, Tohru stood up and waved at him when he peered over his shoulder at her again. She couldn't tell whether he was simply returning the gesture or signaling her to come over, but his lips curved up again. Taking this as a good sign, Tohru grabbed her cup of tea and began walking towards the empty, wooden stool to his right, trying her best to pacify the erratic thumps of her heart as it heaved itself against her ribcage. Before she could take more than three steps from the table, however, Uo's fingers had wrapped around her arm, and Tohru stopped in her tracks. Tohru turned towards her blonde friend expectantly, unaware of how she tapped her foot impatiently.

"Tohru? Where do you think you're going?" Uo questioned.

"I'm going over to introduce myself and have a cup of tea with him," Tohru responded, slipping out of Uo's grasp as she continued on her way.

"Wait! Tohru, please don't! You'll regret it!" Uo called after her friend futilely.

Once Tohru stood out of earshot, seated beside Yuki and grinning brightly, Uo and Hana turned to one another and gave each other a high five. Both smiled just as exuberantly as Tohru, whom they blatantly spied on until Tohru returned a little over an hour later, only to grab her purse and walk away again, an action which garnered her two bemused expressions.

With a flushed face, Tohru explained, "We're going out for dinner."

After another high five, Hana and Uo paid for their bill and followed their friend out.

-Present-

"And then they went on lots more dates, got married, and out you popped. They lived happily ever after. The end," Uo concluded with a wry grin.

"Auntie Uo, why didn't you just ask mommy to go talk to daddy?"

"It's called reverse psychology. Think about it, Emi sweetie. You know your mommy. If I had done that, she would have went on a rant about how she wasn't good enough for your daddy and blah blah blah, but this way, she had to defend him, so she herself was examining his positive attributes, and she herself decided to approach him. Your mommy hates judging people, so I'd knew she'd get to know him if only to prove my accusations wrong. And to this day, that's still the easiest way to get her to agree to something."

"Oh! That's so like mommy," Emi agreed with a nod.

At this moment, Hana walked in and joined them in the living room with a small boy trailing behind her. He climbed onto the couch, swinging his leg over the cushion, and rested his damp, brunette locks on Emi's lap as he rubbed his large brown eyes sleepily. Emi hugged her little brother tightly but couldn't manage to straighten his wrinkled, rat-and-cheese-print pajamas before he raced to the door at the sound of the doorbell. Tohru laughed at her son's eagerness as she shuffled over and let Yuki in, but he could hardly take one step forward before he had to stumble back as his son leapt up into his arms and his wife wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace. Emi soon joined them, squeezing in between her mom and brother while Uo and Hana simply waved from the sofa.

After kissing the three of them on their foreheads, Yuki queried, facing his two children, "Have you both been good for your mommy and aunts while I was away?"

"Yes, daddy," they both chimed in together.

Finding a smile of affirmation on Tohru's face, Yuki turned to her swelling belly. Patting her stomach, he felt soft kicks in return, possibly the most unique greeting he received tonight.

"And how was she?" he asked with a chuckle.

"Oh, she was the rowdiest of the three. I haven't slept very much these past few days. She wants to come out," Tohru laughed.

Yuki frowned sympathetically as he shifted his son to one arm so he could wrap his other around Tohru's shoulders. Tohru comforted him with the notion that she'd only suffer for a few weeks more. Watching the family reunion made Uo and Hana miss their own, so they both stood to leave, not wanting to intrude despite Tohru's urges to stay for dinner. After hugging Tohru and both of her children and shaking Yuki's hand, Uo and Hana gathered their possessions and headed towards the ajar door, but before she stepped outside, Uo turned back towards Emi, placing her hand atop Emi's soft brown locks with a grin and a wink.

"Next time, I'll tell you about your dad and the direct approach I used," Uo promised her.

Emi nodded eagerly in response while Tohru and Yuki exchanged equally confused expressions that no one bothered to clarify.

**I don't know whether to write "The Direct Approach" or not. Review with your opinion while you're correcting those mistakes c:**


	9. The Direct Approach

Title: The Direct Approach

Summary: Uo tells Emi how she set up her parents by bossing her father around.

Genre: Romance/ Family

Rating: T

Word Count: 2,636

Burrowing her head in the crook of Uo's arm, Emi nervously sat in a blue, plastic chair in the hospital waiting room, awaiting the birth of her baby sister. It was midnight, and they had been in the hospital for the past six hours. Uo and Hana had arrived an hour after Tohru had gone into labor and were currently watching their two children as her labor progressed. Her little brother lay fast asleep, sprawled across another chair and Hana's lap. An agonized scream made him turn over with a frown and made Emi wince as she gripped Uo's sleeves tighter. With a sigh, Uo rubbed Emi's back consolingly, trying to soothe the girl in vain. Glancing over at Hana, who continued to eat her bag of chips nonchalantly while periodically stroking the boy's head, Uo desperately wished they had traded responsibilities for the night.

Seeking to distract Emi, Uo asked, "Hey, you want to hear that story about your mommy and daddy I promised you a couple of weeks ago?"

Emi weakly nodded.

-Ten Years Ago-

Drawn in only by the scent of coffee wafting into the streets, Yuki walked into the café, half asleep and only partially aware of where he was at the moment. He stumbled over to the counter and managed to mumble something about a cup of coffee. When he finally got his steaming mug after what seemed like five years, he grabbed a newspaper and took a sip before sauntering over to a table by the window. As the caffeine rushed in, Yuki could feel his eyelids drop the lead weights that had hung from them previously and his conscious grow clearer. Gulping down the rest of his beverage, Yuki skimmed the headlines of the paper until the paper suddenly disappeared from his hands. He stared in confusion at his empty hands before turning to the angry blonde woman that stood beside him. She gripped his newspaper in one hand while she placed her other hand on her hip with a scowl.

Faintly recognizing the woman as his cousin's girlfriend, he greeted her, "It's nice to see you here, Uotani-san."

"Yeah, yeah. You too. Look, buddy. Move your ass back to the counter, get another cup of coffee, and stay there, all right?" she ordered, pointing at the front of the café.

"May I ask why?" he inquired, raising his eyebrows curiously.

"Well, your cup is empty, but besides that, you see that cute brunette sitting at the table back there?" she waited for him to nod before continuing, "Well, if you want to make her happy, then move your ass, and she might come talk to you later."

Yuki tossed her a strange look but picked up his empty cup regardless, standing obediently after sneaking another glance at the blushing girl who held her tea cup in front of her face. He could hardly turn away from her charming grin and her twinkling eyes, but before she could notice, he took his paper back from Uo and headed back to the counter for a refill. Claiming a wooden stool, he sat down and returned to his newspaper as he waited for more coffee. Unfortunately, he didn't notice he had received his refill until he knocked over the cup when he turned the page of his paper. Yuki abruptly dropped his paper and wrestled napkins out of the metal dispenser beside him and tried to absorb as much coffee as possible. Spotting the mess, the waitress flashed him a smile and soon took over this task with a rag after she poured him more coffee.

After devouring another cup of coffee and getting another refill, he couldn't help turning around and gazing at the girl. His heart skipped a beat when he found her staring at him. He studied her carefully, noting her pale skin, petite nose, and bright pink lips that seemed permanently curved upwards. Yuki allowed a real smile to grace his features for the first time in years before forcing himself to turn back to his paper, frowning when he noticed a stain blurred most of the words. He flipped through the pages in vain, tossing it aside when he found even the last page ruined. Yuki peered back at the girl, surprised to find her waving at him. He waved back with a grin before deciding to gesture her over. Yuki felt his cheeks warm when she stood and started over, and he was relieved to find the seat beside him unoccupied.

Yuki fought to keep a frown from marring his face when he noticed Uo grab her arm, forcing her to a halt, but he soon beamed again when she slipped away and he found her standing before him with her hand extended towards him. He took it, reveling in the softness of her skin. Staring at her as she climbed onto the chair next to him, he fought to keep from gaping at her. He had to strain his ears to actually process her words rather than relish in the enchanting tone of her voice.

"Hi, my name is Tohru Honda," she told him cheerfully.

"Yuki Sohma. It's nice to meet you, Honda-san," he returned.

-Present-

"…and you know the rest…" Uo trailed off hopefully.

Glancing over at Emi, Uo sighed in disappointment. A frown continued to disfigure her little face. Uo wrapped her arm around the petite child, trying to comfort her with another tight hug to no avail. Covering Emi's ear with her palm, Uo wondered idly if she could prevent any of Tohru's pained screams from reaching Emi, but her tiny hands soon swatted her away. Uo turned to where Hana sat two seats away, seeking help in cheering the distraught girl, but Hana either ignored her plea for help or actually found the worn out cooking magazine absorbing. Leaning back in the uncomfortable chair, Uo restrained a groan from escaping as she smacked her head against the artificially white wall in frustration. She begged the baby to come out before labor mortified the seven year old anymore.

"Did it hurt mommy this much when I was born?" Emi asked guiltily as another muffled scream pierced through the room.

Uo nervously looked away and avoided the question with an offer to start another story.

"I'll tell you about the time I helped your dad work up the courage to propose to your mommy."

-Nine Years Ago-

Yuki sat on the edge of the sofa with his back rigid and unnaturally straight as he nervously crossed and uncrossed his legs. He had arrived at the apartment Tohru shared with Uo and Hana to pick her up for their trip but came too early and now waited for Tohru as she finished getting ready. Uo and Hana had graciously offered to keep him company in the small living room, sitting across from him on two armchairs, but not even a minute after he seated himself had he decided to keep his eyes on his shoes. If he did happen to look up, he'd be forced to choose between turning towards his left and meeting Uo's glare or to his right at Hana's monotone expression surrounded by an ominous aura. They had been treating him like a criminal ever since he had asked Tohru to go on this trip with him so she could finally meet his family and she had agreed. An overnight trip where they'd be sharing a roof together at his cousin's house.

"You'd better not touch her and take advantage of her just because you finally get to see her in her nightgown," Uo warned.

"Yes, if you lay one finger on her without her consent, I don't know what will happen to you, and no one else will know either," Hana added without changing her stoic expression.

Yuki swallowed anxiously and replied in a shaky voice, "I would never do anything to Tohru that she didn't want me to."

"Don't seduce her. I know you can get her to agree to anything-"

"No, not anything," Yuki interrupted only to have Uo cut him off.

"Shut up! I'm talking here. Anyways, don't sleep with her. I know Tohru, and I know she's the type that's going to remember her first time. She only wants to sleep with one person, all right? One! And that's her husband. If you love her at all, you'll respect that. She'll be filled with regret if anything happens," Uo continued.

"Actually, Uotani-san and Hanajima-san, I was thinking about proposing to Tohru during the trip," Yuki admitted.

For the first time tonight, Yuki lifted his gaze to glance over at each of her two friends. Hana didn't seem surprised, but Uo's expression contained enough shock for the two of them. Uo's thin eyebrows shot so far up that he wondered if they'd soon stretch past her forehead, and he had never even seen anyone's mouth opened that wide before. Interpreting their reactions negatively, Yuki nervously stuck his hand in his pocket and shoved the velvet box down farther. Uo appeared to be fighting the urge to either lift him up by his collar and beat him repeatedly or slap him on the back good naturedly in excitement. Yuki didn't know which, so he focused his gaze on the armrest, trying not to suffocate on the palpable tension ebbing through the room.

"Maybe I shouldn't. I mean we've only been dating for about a year, and we still have another year of college left to complete. She hasn't even met my family yet. She'll freak out. I'm rushing things, aren't I? You're completely right, Uotani-san, I do force things upon her," Yuki rambled.

"Shut your mouth, lover boy. I hate to admit this, but you make her very happy. If you ask her to marry you, I know she'll say 'yes.' So stop making her feel this subconscious! Get in her pants and propose!" Uo ordered.

"Arisa, he really should propose before he 'gets into her pants,'" Hana commented apathetically.

To this Yuki could only flush. He wrenched the appalled expression from his face when Uo and Hana turned back to face him expectantly. Unsure of what they wanted from him, Yuki grimaced, remaining silent as tiny beads of sweat dribbled down his face. Unpleased with such a reaction, Uo folded her arms across her chest and lifted her leg across the tiny coffee table that separated them to nudge him in the shoulder with her toes. When Yuki lifted his face, a blood-stained, iron pipe brushed against the tip of his nose. His gaze drifted across the pipe to the narrowed glare of the wielder. Backing up in the sofa apprehensively, Yuki forced a strangled grin on his face.

"You better do it. If she comes back without a ring, I'll hunt you down," Uo threatened.

"You think she'd want to? Seriously?"

"Yes! Now do it! Ask her to marry you!" Uo barked.

Yuki simply nodded, deciding to acquiesce.

"Oh my… Our little Tohru-kun is going to be a bride," Hana announced softly, wiping away an imaginary tear.

"Who's getting married?" Tohru suddenly inquired, appearing around the hall while slipping on a shoe.

Everyone but Hana jumped in response. Uo quickly hid behind her back the bloody pipe that Tohru had asked her not to brandish anymore while Yuki gripped the small, black box tightly in his fist, fearing that his pants had become transparent and Tohru could see the ring he wished to surprise her with.. Looking over at Yuki, Tohru rushed over to him and tossed her arms around his neck in a loose embrace as she pressed her lips against his in greeting. She seated herself beside Yuki on the armrest of coach and peered at them all curiously as she tightened the strap on her shoe. Noting the sweat dripping down Yuki's cheeks and the petrified expression that wore deep creases into his face, Tohru dropped her other shoe and pressed the back of her hand worriedly against his forehead, but before she could fret further, Uo jumped up.

"Oh, Tohru. It's um… Me! Haha!" Uo lied with an awkward laugh.

"Oh! Really? Kureno-san proposed? Congratulations, Uo-chan!" Tohru cried as walked over and hugged Uo.

"Ready?" Yuki broke in before Tohru could ask any further questions and unravel their lie.

She nodded after she bent down and pulled her other shoe on. Yuki stood, relieved that Tohru had finally finished preparing, and grabbed her suitcase. After she hugged her friends farewell and Uo and Hana snuck Yuki subtle warnings, Tohru and Yuki left. As soon as the front door shut, Uo and Hana rushed to the window, pushing aside the lacy curtain to spy on their best friend as they drove away. An extra wide smile seemed to be stretched across Tohru's face as she ripped off her seatbelt and tossed her arms around Yuki's neck and planted several kisses on his face. They exchanged twin grins and slipped each other a high-five before letting the drapery fall back across the window to give their friend a bit of privacy, but it was a while before headlights illuminated the living room and the sound of an engine faded into the distance.

When they returned a few days later, the first thing Uo and Hana noticed was the diamond glimmering from Tohru's left hand.

-Present-

"Then one year later, your mommy walked down the aisle in a beautiful gown, and your daddy finally got in her pants and your mom got pregnant-" Uo accidentally blurted out.

"Arisa," Hana interrupted with a frown.

"Auntie Uo-chan, does that mean that when daddy puts on mommy's pants, she gets pregnant? What happens when mommy puts on daddy's pants? Does daddy get pregnant?" Emi asked in awe.

"Uh… Yeah, squirt," Uo affirmed.

While averting her eyes from Emi's amazed gray orbs, Uo noticed a head of silver hair slipping past the hospital door. Emi jumped up at the sight of Yuki, rushing over to embrace him. Albeit tired and strained with dark purple crescents beneath his eyes and blue bruises across his hands, Yuki bent over and lifted his daughter into his arms. Emi squeezed him with all of her strength as she wiped her teary eyes against his wrinkled shirt. Yuki stroked her back soothingly and kissed the top of her head, relieved to find his son obliviously asleep in Hana's arms as they walked over to him excitedly, though only Uo's jubilance was visible.

Emi lifted her tearstained face to confront Yuki, demanding, "Daddy! Is mommy okay?"

"Of course. She's just exhausted. Would you like to see the baby?" he inquired.

"Yes!" Emi chirped eagerly.

Yuki gestured to Hana and Uo to follow as he carried Emi into the room. After he set her down on the white tiles, Emi quickly left his side to observe the pink bundle in Tohru's arms. Relief flooded Emi when she saw her mother look up at her, even though sweat matted Tohru's hair onto her forehead, her frail body seemed shrunken, and all vigor seemed to have seeped out along with the child. Noticing how Emi eagerly leaned over on the metal frame of the bed, Yuki helped Emi onto Tohru's bed, and Tohru smiled as she carefully laid the newborn girl in Emi's outstretched arms. Emi stared in wonder at the tiny closed eyes of the child, bewildered by the little being.

"And she was made when daddy put on your pants! That's so weird!" Emi exclaimed with a laugh.

Tohru and Yuki turned to each other with their eyebrows furrowed in deep confusion, but as soon as Uo walked in, they peered over at her questioningly. Uo, however, gave them a huge smile and walked out of the room before a word could leave their mouth.


	10. Waking Sleeping Beauty

Title: Waking Sleeping Beauty

Summary: Tohru's the only one in the house brave enough to wake up Yuki in the mornings.

Genre: Romance

Rating: K+

Word Count: 888

Yuki had always been a heavy sleeper, nearly impossible to wake up.

All those who disturbed his sleep regretted it, living with deep scars, emotional and physical. Kyo didn't even dare to step into a room with a sleeping Yuki in it anymore. A year ago, Kyo had tried to awaken the silver-haired boy with a punch in the face. Not only had Yuki blocked the blow with his arm and tossed Kyo out the open window with a kick to his abdomen, but he had also slept through the entire ordeal. Yuki left Kyo with a deep bruise that wouldn't fade for a month, though Yuki never knew of it. Many oblivious alarms had also endeavored to wake the slumbering prince, but on each of their first mornings on the job, they'd discover why there was a pile of smashed clocks lying in an overflowing trashcan in the corner of the room. As soon as they'd cry for him to awake, a fist would slam against their top, searching for a snooze button that wasn't needed anymore, and then Yuki would flip over and continue sleeping. So Yuki became the electronics store's most valued customer. He went there almost every other day for another alarm clock, though those never seemed to wake him before they wound up broken.

Shigure had once tried a long distance approach that involved picking up random objects in the hallway, such as a vase or an end table, and tossing them at Yuki, but Yuki turned out to have a good catch and aim in his sleep. Shigure walked away from his experiment with several injuries to his head and chest, a broken end table, and a shattered vase. Since then, Shigure had attempted to distance himself further from Yuki as he awoke him by calling the house phone with his cell phone while he hid away at Ayame's shop, but Yuki would never answer, and then Shigure would return home to find half of a phone outside the house on the lawn and the other half in pieces trailing back to the hall. Now Shigure and Kyo just let Yuki meander his way out of his room semiconscious whenever he decided to get up. They simply avoided him as he stumbled around, running into things and falling back asleep randomly around the house as he tried to make his way to the door.

But this was all before Tohru moved in.

"Yuki-kun still isn't up?" Tohru asked, glancing at the full plate at the table as she gathered three empty ones.

With paling faces, Shigure and Kyo briefly shook their heads before bolting out of the house. Shocked by their speed, Tohru blinked at them before shrugging to herself as she set the dirty dishes in the sink to wash when she came home later. She never understood why they seemed to fear waking Yuki so much. Tohru found the task to be quite simple, so she returned to the table to grab his untouched breakfast and climbed the stairs to his room. As she called his name gently, she nudged open his door to find him sprawled across his bed with one leg resting on the nightstand and his arms hanging limply off the edge of the mattress. The blanket seemed to ensnare him to the bed and his pillows lay on the opposite end of the wall. She allowed herself to giggle softly as she set his plate beside his foot and another destroyed alarm clock.

She walked over to the other end of the bed and knelt down before him. Tohru couldn't help staring at his gentle features as she swept his hair from his face. He twitched a little and soft, gray eyes greeted her momentarily before sinking back behind closing lids. She doubted he had even registered her presence. Sighing, she leaned forward, keeping her hand on his cheek as she planted a gentle kiss on his lips. She had to press her lips more firmly against his before he decided to stir and respond to the kiss, but that hadn't taken more than thirty seconds.

Tohru never knew which aspect of their morning ritual awoke him. The smell of his still warm morning breakfast wafted over to him and his grumbling stomach. Her long hair would tickle him, brushing against his skin as the breeze from his open window danced with the long, brown strands. Perhaps the gentle pressure of her fingertips as they grazed the side of his face. But Yuki knew it was the caress of her lips that'd awake him every time. Every morning she would be continuing his dreams for him when she kissed him, and he'd unknowingly reach towards consciousness because he could no longer distinguish reality from the utopia established in his dreams. The lines would all melt together, and when he'd open his eyes, he would catch himself accidentally drawing her into an embrace too late, and he'd wind up trapped in her arms as a rat.

At least that always made changing out of his pajamas easier.

Before, he'd been so reluctant to awake because happiness only seemed to meet him in his dreams, but now, a life with Tohru Honda rivaled the greatest perfections his mind could conjure up, and waking up didn't seem impossible anymore.

**A backwards birthday tradition where I give you something on my birthday? c: Not much of a gift though. Just a short drabble. **


	11. A Single Compliment

Title: A Single Compliment

Summary: At the end of the year before graduation, they are to write a compliment on a note card for everyone in class, but Yuki struggles to summarize his sentiments towards Tohru.

Genre: Romance/ Friendship

Rating: K+

Word Count: 2,051

All of the students in the steaming classroom sat on the edges of their seats, eager to leave for lunch. Just a little more than half of one period separated them from their temporary, forty-minute freedom and just one week distinguished them from the alumni of the school. Graduation tantalized them with glimpses of pure bliss as they fought through their last exams and final preparations. The drumming of fingers against desks rang incessantly, battling for dominance against the murmur of the broken air conditioner and Mayu's monotone words that no one bothered to listen to anymore. That is, no one listened until Mayu flipped over a desk in the front row, startling the student sitting there.

"Hey! Get yourselves in a goddamn circle and take out an index card!" Mayu shouted before muttering, "I'm trying to do you all a favor and boost your little egos before you leave, and this is what I get?"

Awkwardly everyone stood and moved their desks into a circular formation. Yuki found himself beside Tohru and smiled secretly to himself, turning his face downwards to hide his clear exuberance as he pulled out the required materials.

"All right, write your name on top and pass it down to the person beside you. Write down a compliment and pass the card along when you're done. Do try to write something on everyone's before lunch," Mayu added before leaving them to be to finish grading a few leftover assignments.

Tohru turned to Yuki with a nervous smile, handing him her card. She could only wonder what he would write for her as she turned back to the blank card before her and tried to say something nice about the girl who sat in front of her in class that she didn't know all too well. She felt guilty when she realized she had only jotted down an impersonal sentence before passing it down to Yuki. Her eyes had hardly left Yuki since they began. Her curiosity overwhelmed her, but he had yet to write anything other than her name. His pen hovered over the white sheet, seeming to tease her as another card plopped down on her desk. With a disappointed frown, she turned back to her desk and hurried to catch up.

Yuki momentarily glared at the building pile of note cards on the corner of his desk before handing them over to whoever sat to his right without even writing anything. With a satisfied smile, he pressed the tip of his pen to the white paper and let his emotions slide down.

_My dearest Honda-san, _

_ One sentence isn't enough to sum up all that you have done for me. I doubt I can even express my appreciation, but I'm going to try. First, I'd like to thank you for being my very first friend and for accepting me as I am, for accepting every side of me. It's because of you that I am no longer ashamed of who I am. It's because of you that I'm comfortable around others now. It's because of you that I learned what love feels like. _

_You're a beautiful and kind girl. An angel. I doubt there's another like you. I envy your courage and strength. Just watching you overcome all of your struggles encouraged me to go on and try harder. I think your smiles saved me and gave me the confidence to feel happy for the first time in my life. You are the first and only joy in my life. You are my solace. _

_Before you came into our lives, we Sohmas weren't a family. We were mere acquaintances sharing a surname, but thanks to your efforts, we have grown to love one another, and I no longer detest my brother. It is you, however, that we all cherish the most. I'm sure your mother is very proud of your accomplishments. I know I am. You work so hard. You do all of your schoolwork, have a job, and still manage to clean and cook the most delicious meals for us. I don't know how you do it all, but I'm grateful that you do. You've truly changed our lives-_

Yuki glared as the growing stack of white rectangles toppled over onto his note to Tohru. Annoyed, he tossed them over to the next person, ignoring the clear confusion from whoever sat to his right. He briefly wondered whether he had halted the assembly line of compliments before he shrugged with indifference and flipped over the full index card to continue on the blank back. Sneaking a glance at the clock in the corner of the room, he realized he'd have to hurry if he wished to express all of his sentiments clearly. The note cards should reach their owners soon, except for Tohru's of course. He still kept hers locked tightly under his pen.

_I must apologize for all that we make you do. You surely must not have enjoyed your time with us as much as I did, but I'll never forget the years you spent with us. My most precious memories are of you, especially of our secret base (I think you made my garden thrive.). I hope you do realize how special you are to not only me but all of us. Honda-san, you're my heroine. I admire you, and in all honesty, I love you. More than I should. _

Staring at his last couple of lines, Yuki considered crossing them out with a faintly flushed face before grimacing and daring to be bold. He left the words as they were, taking a second to pass on more note cards before resuming his writing. Yuki tried to bury his confession with the rest of his thoughts before Mayu ordered them to stop.

_Please don't forget how loved you are. Even the stupid cat knows how special you are, and sometimes I wonder if he can count to ten. No one compares to you. If everyone were a flame atop a candle wick, you'd be a wildfire. You'd be the sun. You outshine every single person, yet that doesn't stop you from sharing your light, your warmth, your love with us all. Because of that, I hope there's never an eclipse because I'd be lost without you. But don't let that stop you from soaring. You'll do wonders for this world, and I'm glad to have met you. It's an honor to be your friend, Tohru._

_ Love,_

_ Yuki Sohma_

He let the pen drop out of his hand as Mayu called for their attention, asking them to direct the cards back to their owners. They had the rest of the period to read the comments. Shyly, Yuki slipped Tohru's card back to her desk, embarrassed to have monopolized her sheet when he knew others needed to share words with her too. Tohru openly gaped at the tiny calligraphy that coated her card. She then stared at the silver-haired boy beside her in disbelief. She'd admit she had snuck glances over at him every few seconds and had wondered who he was pouring his heart out to, but she had never expected the note to belong to her. She had to check for her name at the top at least ten times before gaining the confidence to read what he had written to her. Tohru could only make it halfway down the front side before tears began sliding down her cheeks. She had to squint past the well of tears behind her eyes to make out his words.

By the time she had made it to the other side, Tohru had dropped her pen and was practically bawling. Yuki could tell when she reached his confession by the audible gasp that crept out of her mouth and how her back straightened to an unnatural degree. He didn't dare lift his gaze to her face, but if he had, he'd find a glowing blush spreading across her face and the widest smile stretching the corners of her mouth. She could hardly restrain herself from leaping out of her seat jubilantly, let alone force herself to calmly continue reading, but as the last lines sank in, she was glad she did. He had finally addressed her by her first name.

For a few minutes, Tohru could only sit in awe and skim back over the last few lines. She probably would have continued to do so if the bell hadn't just rung and made her jump.

"Honda-san?" Yuki queried in a quiet, nervous voice.

She blinked at him a couple of times before snatching his note card back from him. Tohru struggled to locate her own writing utensil but soon gave up and borrowed his. Scanning over his card that seemed crammed with even more writing than her own, albeit with a note from every single person in the room minus a scowling orange-haired boy across the room, she tried to find room amongst the other professions of love and praises. Somehow she managed to squeeze in four more words at the top corner, but it left her wondering if her profession would even show. Nonetheless, she handed it back to him shyly, and he took it, scouring the paper until his eyes rested on the edge, reading over the line five times before looking up at her.

_I love you too._

They were four simple words really, but they made his heart swell ecstatically as a grin overtook his face. He grasped her hand in his, about to tug her over and plant a kiss on her awaiting lips, but before he could, a hand grasped his shoulder firmly. Yuki turned around and found himself confronted with the furious brown eyes of Arisa Uotani.

"So you were the one who hogged Tohru's card," she uttered angrily.

"My, my, and you wasted all the room on it. We wanted to express our love for Tohru-kun too," Hana added, flipping Tohru's note card over in her hands.

"Um… I'm sorry?" Yuki offered.

Uo and Hana narrowed their eyes at him as they slipped their arms around Tohru and dragged her out of the room, not offering an explanation to Yuki or even to Tohru. Yuki held out his hand in protest, but they were long gone by then. He left the room in a hurry to catch up with them, but he could only track down Tohru's compliment card and one of her shoes. With a sigh, he reluctantly left for the final student council meeting of the year, but even when he arrived home two hours later, Tohru still hadn't returned. A tad irked by her kidnapping, Yuki devoured a couple of takeout boxes before sulking in his room. He twirled his own note card around his finger, keeping his eyes on Tohru's message before he jumped up and grabbed a blank index card off his desk. After quickly scrawling a note across it, he went to Tohru's room, leaving it on her desk along with her missing shoe and compliment card.

Meanwhile, Tohru sleepily stumbled inside the house. Uo and Hana had insisted upon treating her to a special friendship day to express their love for her to make up for not getting a chance to sign their compliments on her note card. While she appreciated the gesture, the ordeal left her exhausted. Since no lights had been left on, she didn't bother calling out a greeting as she slipped off her new shoes. She crept up to her room as quietly as possibly so she wouldn't awake her supposedly sleeping family. When she turned on the lights and went to her dresser to change, she was relieved to find her compliment card on her desk. When she lifted it up to skim Yuki's words again, she found another card underneath.

_Will you go out on a date with me next week?_

She laughed, pushing open her door with a smile, but that soon faded when she noticed Yuki's closed door. No light seeped out under the crack either. She shut herself back inside her room, deciding her response would have to wait for morning.

The next morning, when Yuki awoke and stumbled down the stairs for breakfast, he found a folded index card beside his plate with a simple 'yes' neatly printed across.


	12. A Wish Left Ungranted

Title: A Wish Left Ungranted

Summary: Tohru has just moved out with Kyo. Yuki reflects on the past and ponders over his feelings for her.

Genre: Romance/ Hurt, Comfort

Rating: T

Word Count: 1,985

I only wished and prayed that she'd be mine one day, but no deity or other wish-granting figure ever bothered to grant me my greatest desire.

My fingers raced across the number pad of my phone, dialing a number I had memorized so long ago. How could I not? I dialed this number over a hundred times a day. Why wasn't the receiver annoyed with me by now? It's simple. I've never hit the send button as of yet.

A week had passed since Tohru Honda, the love of my life, left with Kyo, my cousin and nemesis. Seven days had gone by since I'd seen her last. She moved miles away, and I never even properly told her goodbye. I didn't go off to see her on her last day here. If I had done that, I wouldn't have been able to let her go. I would have let it slip that I was slowly dying here without her. I would have ridden her with enormities of guilt to force her to stay with me, so I didn't see her off. I wanted her to stay behind with me because she wanted to, not out of manipulation, but I knew she wouldn't choose me over Kyo, so it didn't shock me when I found her gone the next morning. Regardless, her absence left me just short of comatose. I could see no reason for anything anymore.

Since her departure, an empty void had resided in my chest, and all true emotions had vanished from my face. I've wasted into an emotionless puppet without her.

Peering down at the yellow ribbon in my hand, I laughed bitterly to myself. It was the one I had given to her on white day a couple of years ago. Of everything she could have forgotten to bring with her, she left this, just as she left me.

She hasn't called me, and I didn't dare call her. I know she has called Rin, Kagura, Kisa, Momiji, even Shigure and Akito, but she seemed to have had cast me aside.

She didn't need me anymore now that she had Kyo. Kyo may have changed her world like the ripples of a boulder tossed into her lake. Perchance I disturbed her waters for a fleeting moment like the ripples of a pebble or the graze of a breath of air, but I shouldn't compare myself to something as precious and essential as air. I was nothing more than the remnants of dirt that had soiled her pure water. While the boulder proudly protrudes out from the surface of her life, I've sunken to the bottom, unnoticed and impotent. Had I even left the tiniest streak upon her life? Perhaps, but only a blemish.

None of that bothered me though. I know from Haru and Momiji that she's happy, and I just need to know that to continue living. My pain meant nothing if it ensured that a smile remained etched across her face. I wouldn't even care if she tortured me to death if I knew it'd guarantee her happiness. I'd do anything for her. If she wanted, I'd tear out my own heart and give it to her. I'd do that, but she already has said item.

With a sigh, I pressed the end button as usual and shut my phone. I wearily lifted my gaze to the window. A beautiful scene lay before me, yet I could see no beauty in it. I haven't seen beauty in anything other than her since I met her. She outshined all else. Nothing could come close enough to compare. Her beauty blinded me, shocked me, froze me, yet she never seemed to notice my affection for her. She never seemed to notice the love for her I felt burning in my body. She couldn't she see that I loved her more than Kyo did. I would die for her. I am dying for her. Would Kyo die for her? I couldn't answer that question, but I knew he wasn't dying now, as I was without her presence.

She never thought twice about falling in love with him. She just jumped into his open arms the first day she met him while my heart remained locked behind iron bars to keep it from breaking, but even with all my defenses up, she still found that rusted key and freed my heart, taking it away with her. If I had been more careful, more cautious, maybe I'd still have a piece of my heart, but she managed to possess the entirety of my heart without even knowing. She stole my heart, my breath, and now she could keep those as hostages, but even prisoners need to be cared for. Neglected, my heart shattered, cracking again and again each time I saw her. Saw her with him. Perhaps it was through breaking. Dust doesn't break down much further, and that was precisely the condition of my heart, but maybe a finer substance. Something unnoticeable to the human eye. My heart had left the decay stage a long time ago. It died when I discovered her feelings for him, yet it still throbbed and trembled each time I saw her.

Did she mockingly heal my heart every night just so she could watch it rupture again?

No. She wasn't cruel.

That healer was me.

It was I who couldn't let go. It was I who clung to these feelings. It was I who was in love with someone blind to me.

Tohru Honda hung from my sky like the sun. I guess she was my sun. She'd rise and comfort me just as the darkness became too much. She bathed me with light and warmth. I needed her, yet I couldn't quite call her mine. I could bask in her soothing rays, but while those rays were vital, standing in her presence for too long would leave me burnt. Yet, just as I grew to love her, she'd whisk away, dipping behind the horizon and forever beyond my reach. Vanishing, she'd let darkness engulf me once again, just as I grew accustomed to light.

I wasn't her other half, so why was she mine? I doubted I ever crossed her mind, but she never left mine. She had practically made a home in the crevices of my head. I couldn't even remember the last time I had slept without dreaming of her. I wondered if I could consider those nightmares or just taunting wisps of what could have been. She had truly conquered my life like an addictive toxin. It was too late, however, to suck out the poison. It had already spread. I wanted to see her. I wanted to think of her. I wanted to love her, yet my feelings only scorched me the more I yearned for her.

I longed for this pain to end by any means necessary. I needed something excruciating to make me forget this fiery burn in my hollow chest, yet nothing came close. Death might, but he'd be a double-crossing friend, so I ignored the sweet nectar he tantalized me with. He'd end my pain in exchange for hers. Maybe I was narcissistic to think my death would bother her, but if it did, there'd be no way to pay penance. Hurting her, even in the most miniscule way was unacceptable. So to keep my suicide from haunting her, I continued to exist. I wasn't living, just enduring. Physically, I was alive, but inside, I couldn't come any closer to death.

My eyes drifted back to my phone. No one had called me for days. They all must have grown tired of this lifeless creature I've become. I had grown sick of myself too, but I had nowhere to hide. Haru had called last with news that Kyo had proposed to Tohru. I've been meaning to call her to congratulate her, but I couldn't. Almost delirious, I ached to hear that beseechingly sweet voice of hers, but I knew it'd be nothing but sweetened venom, a siren's call to destruction. Sure it'd be pleasant at first, a treasure too grand for anyone, but enormities clung to the edges. Unintentional but still existent. She was too kind to be malevolent, but even her joy pierced my heart like a dagger. She was happy with him, and that hurt almost as much as seeing her in misery.

Finding myself still begging to hear her voice, I sought to distract myself. I picked up the ribbon and scrawled down a short message for Tohru. I only wrote three words on the scalloped edge. Hesitantly glancing at the garbage, I fought to decide whether I wanted to toss it out or walk over to Tohru's house and leave it on her porch step. I knew it'd do neither of us any good, but it felt wrong not letting her know. Perhaps I only wanted to pass by her house in hopes of catching a brief glimpse of her through a window.

Then the voice I had longed to hear for ages sounded in a frenzy, from seemingly miles away.

"Shigure-san! Have you cleaned out my room yet?" she hollered.

"Why yes, Tohru-kun. Someone came over yesterday to clean out the rest of your stuff that you said you couldn't bring with you. Why? What's the matter?" Shigure asked.

"Oh no! Oh no!" she wailed.

"Tohru-kun?"

"I left something very important here! You don't think they threw it away, do you?"

"Your room was empty the last time I checked, but you're free to go look yourself," he told her.

Hardly a second past before I heard feet thundering up the stairs. Struggling to breathe properly, I felt suffocated as I stared at the door in a panic, willing my body to move, to get up, to hide, to do something, but I remained frozen on her bedroom floor, lying there hopelessly as I heard her fingers grasp the door knob and wrench the wooden structure open. Her chestnut hair fluttered in first. The tantalizing long strands gravitated towards me, but before I could even raise my arm to reach for them, the locks sank, and she stumbled inside, nearly toppling over. With her mouth agape, she gawked at me with her bright eyes blinking in astonishment, and my breath caught. I could hardly keep my thoughts coherent.

It was her.

My love.

I wondered for how much longer this euphoria would cradle me before it sent me off to the gallows.

We both stared at each other, neither knowing what to say, before finally, a smile spread across her face. I watched her, with both sheer horror and pure exuberance meshed in my eyes, as she kneeled down on the ground. If I only lifted my arm and uncurled my fingers, I could graze her warm skin. If I could only shove myself off the ground, I could give her the hug I've held back since she broke the curse. If I possessed any courage, I could greet her and call her by her first name, but I had none, so I settled for drinking in her presence in a trancelike state because I knew she'd disappear again. In my perusal, I couldn't help noticing that she had no ring upon her left hand.

"Yuki-kun," she finally breathed in a delicate whisper.

Snapping out of my reverie, I only managed to nod.

"Tohru-kun?" Shigure called from downstairs, interrupting the peace that had settled between us, "Did you find what you were looking for? That very important thing?"

"Yes…" she trailed off with a warm smile.

Whether she directed her gaze at me or at the ribbon, I never knew, but it didn't matter anymore because that grin gracing her face at the moment could only be for me.

I had believed my wish had been ignored, but perhaps I was mistaken.

**I aimed for beautiful angst but got an emo-fest lined with hope instead. :c Oh well. What's a collection of oneshots without one melodramatic rant? Review please. **


	13. Week 35: Buried Treasure

Title: Week 35: Buried Treasure

Summary: Yuki finds a way to cheer up Tohru, who's suffering from a mild case of post-partum depression. (Alternative End to The Result)

Genre: Romance/ Family

Rating: T  
Word Count: 1,743

Tohru sighed as she lifted her newborn daughter off of her lap. Bringing the tiny face towards her own, Tohru stared at the closed eyelids, then at her tiny nose, and finally at the little bubble glistening from the corner of her pursed lips. Emi was a beautiful child, though only three weeks old. After another sigh, Tohru stood, cradling the infant gently as she sauntered over to the white crib. She carefully laid Emi on the small mattress before she pulled out the soft, pink blanket and covered the slumbering child, folding the edge over once the end reached Emi's chin. While watching her daughter, Tohru redid the top half of the buttons of her white blouse before leaving the room to take a nap, but when she entered her bedroom, a familiar white box already occupied her bed.

She curiously approached her bed. Lifting the lid off of the box, Tohru peered at the pink, ruffled dress lying neatly inside. With a frown, Tohru fought the building tears as she switched her gaze from the beautiful gown Yuki had bought for her months ago to her abdomen that had not quite flattened back to her previous size yet. Tossing the tiny dress aside and flopping down on her mattress, Tohru burst into hysterics, unable to contain her tears any longer. When she finished bawling a good ten minutes later, Tohru felt a note getting crushed under her hand. Confused, Tohru shoved herself into a sitting position and unfolded the crinkled note.

_Tohru, put on your dress, and meet me at our new secret base. _

Ever since they had moved in almost a month ago, she had helped him start a new garden in their backyard, and she'd always return inside caked in dirt and covered with grass stains. Thus their gardening attire consisted of worn clothes already filled with rips and holes. She couldn't figure out why he'd ask her to wear the gorgeous gown he'd given her. Perplexed by his request, Tohru flipped over the small, white card, searching for more words, but after finding a blank back, her eyebrows furrowed deeper. She didn't want to ruin the dress before she could fit in it, but as she glanced back at the note, her determination wavered at the glimmer of attention it tantalized her with.

After another sigh, she shed her sweatpants and top. Holding her breath, she squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to pull the dress on. A minute later, she realized that the dress had slid on easily with only a minor struggle. Tohru gawked at her own reflection that she caught in her mirror. Twirling around before her vanity, Tohru smiled for the first time that day. The layers of ruffles hid the weight that she had gained during her pregnancy and hadn't lost yet. She almost looked normal. With a glimmer of joy in her eyes, Tohru skipped out of her room and into the nursery. Taking a still slumbering Emi into her arms, Tohru wandered down the stairs and out the backdoor.

Stepping onto the porch and into the sunshine, Tohru found her grin growing. As she scanned the neat yard, she noticed that Yuki had laid out a fleece blanket under a tree near the small garden, so Tohru put Emi down there in the shade. She then rushed over to Yuki, who was bent over at the other end of the yard pulling at a weed. Seeing as his mission absorbed his attention, Tohru surprised him when she leapt onto him with an embrace, so she wound up knocking him to the ground. He had been letting his guard slip ever since they moved since Kyo could no longer barge in with random attacks, but at least the weed came out when he fell. Tohru quickly shoved herself up and readied herself to spit out a string of apologies, but he wasn't even looking at her when she lifted her head to meet his gaze.

"Where's Emi?" he asked.

Her frown returned as she climbed off of him.

"She's sleeping on the blanket you set out for her. It's warm out so she doesn't need a blanket, and she's in the shade so she won't get burnt. She doesn't roll when she sleeps, so nothing should happen," she halfheartedly assured him.

"Yeah, but we still shouldn't leave her alone. She's not even a month old," he muttered half to himself and partially to her as he stood.

He offered her his hand, tugging her up and leading her towards their child while her frown deepened. She didn't bother holding another sigh back. Ever since Emi arrived, Tohru had been shoved into a meager second place in everyone's hearts. Though she loved her daughter with all her heart and would do anything for the beautiful child, Tohru wished her friends and family remembered her as well. Peering down at the gown, Tohru wondered why she had even bothered leaving the house and getting dressed. No one noticed her when they could coo over Emi, and Emi could distract anyone with just a hiccup or a wiggle of a toe. Before she could wallow in her growing self-misery any longer, Yuki squeezed her hand, making her face him.

"You look beautiful, you know," he breathed, sneaking a side glance at her.

"T-Thank you!" she exclaimed as a faint blush undermined the fading downturn of her lips.

"You should know that we all love you, Tohru. I know everyone seems to only want to play with Emi now, but that doesn't mean we don't care about you. She just needs us now, so please cheer up," he told her with a faint smile.

"I know…" she trailed off embarrassedly, shocked that he knew how she felt.

After pecking her on the cheek, he responded, "Good. Now do you want to help me garden?"

She nodded but quickly added, "But my dress!"

"Don't worry, my princess. I have it all under control," he assured her.

He gave her a dramatic bow as he pulled a small blanket from seemingly nowhere and draped it across a patch of grass before an empty square of dirt by where Emi soundly slept. A soft laugh escaped from her throat as she kneeled down, unable to keep a grin off her face. Before she could ask him why he had requested that she dress so nicely, she noticed how Yuki seemed to have had distanced himself from her.

"I need to go get some new seeds I bought yesterday from inside. Do you mind digging little holes for them while I'm gone? They don't need to be that big or deep, so your fingers would be sufficient for digging. I'll be back, all right?" he seemed to ramble.

Before she could even choke out a response, he had planted a brief kiss on the corner of her mouth and had retreated inside the house. Puzzled, she slowly let her mouth slide shut as she snuck a glance back at Emi. Turning towards the dirt in front of her, she sank her fingers into the soft dirt and began scooping out small holes. By her tenth hole, Tohru found herself watching the door, wondering why Yuki seemed to be stalling inside, but she couldn't even consider going inside to check on him before she stubbed her fingers against something solid. With her eyebrows knitted in confusion, Tohru began scraping the dirt off of the surface and discovered a small, black, velvet top. Shoving her fingers into the soil surrounding the square, she wrapped her hand around the small cube and yanked it out.

Tohru found it to be a jewelry box. Flipping it open, Tohru gaped when she found a silver ring with a sparkling diamond in the center. Once her eyes had returned to their normal size, she twisted the ring around in the cushion with a grin spreading across her face. Gingerly tugging it out, Tohru tried it on and discovered that it fit perfectly. Hesitantly glancing around her, Tohru let out a breath of relief when she spotted only Emi still sleeping peacefully. She quickly took off the ring and put it back in the box, but before she could do anything else, she heard the backdoor slide open. She could only guiltily wrap her fingers tightly around the box in hopes that he couldn't see the black velvet peeking out between her extremities as he ambled over to her. Despite her efforts, he knelt before her and gently pried the box from her. Opening it, he presented the sparkling ring to her.

"Did I give you enough time to decide on an answer?" he softly asked.

"Y-Yes!" she squeaked.

As his gesture slowly registered in her mind, she lifted her head towards him, beaming as she swiped at budding tears. She could barely make out the faint smile lingering on his pale face before it vanished behind a mask of uncertainty. Though he had pulled the ring out from the box and had it positioned before her finger, Tohru began to panic. She couldn't help wondering if he had decided to propose out of guilt since they had Emi, but before she could jump up and begin her flailing and protesting, his fingers grasped hers. The firmness of his grip comforted her and soon expelled her worries. She leaned towards him, brushing her fingertip against the silver band, but he made no move to slide the ring onto her finger.

"Wait, yes as in you'll marry me or as in I did give you enough time…?" he trailed off uneasily.

"Both!" she exclaimed.

Unable to wait, she jammed her own finger through the ring and leapt into his arms, knocking him over for the second time today, but this time, they both laughed. Merriment seemed to ring through the air as they both laid there, and he wrapped his arms tightly around her in a loving embrace. Craning her neck upwards, she snuck a peck to his lips before settling against his side, relishing in the warm gusts of wind, the bright sun shine, and the soothing rise and fall of Yuki's chest that matched Emi's with every breath. She could no longer remember what sadness even felt like.

Tohru was glad she had beaten the pirates to her buried treasure, even without the aid of a crinkled map with a giant red 'x' painted across.


	14. Happy Father's Day

Title: Happy Father's Day

Summary: Emi wants to surprise Yuki for Father's Day.

Genre: Family

Rating: K+

Word Count: 1,071

"Daddy! Daddy! Wake up! Wake up! Daddy!" a loud high pitched voice squeaked.

Yuki rolled over, dragging the covers over his head as his five-year-old daughter's cries grew louder, but she was relentless. Grabbing the corner of the comforter tangled with her father's limbs, Emi tugged, using all her weight and stepping backwards until she fell over onto her bottom once the blanket finally slid off. With a grimace, Yuki curled up in his bed, covering his arms to try to stay warm as sleep once again started to claim his conscious. Noticing this, Emi grasped the edge of the mattress and hopped up, wiggling and swinging her legs until she stood on top of the bed. She jumped until she was out of breath and then finally pounced on him, bringing her face close to his and slapping him mercilessly with her hands, but he only opened one eye in response.

"Guess what? It's Father's Day!" she hollered.

He managed a nod after she stopped hitting him though he didn't process a word that passed her lips. Watching the eye slide shut again, Emi grasped his arm and shook it with all her might. With a deep frown, she stood and yanked on his arm while beginning to jump again. The mattress flopped up and down with her every motion and every piece of furniture in the room shook, clattering against the walls and floor. Pillows slipped off the bed, joining the comforter on the floor, and the lamp on the nightstand to Yuki's left danced precariously closer and closer to the edge, half way off the table by the time Emi decided to drop back down beside Yuki and pry his eyelids open with both of her hands.

"Wake up! Wake up!"

He groaned as he finally sat up, groggily watching Emi's face light up with a smile. She hopped off the bed eagerly and stooped over by a tray on the floor holding two cups of coffee. Walking slowly, Emi carefully carried the steaming cup over to her father. She held out the caffeinated drink with a grin, and Yuki almost managed a smile as he took the cup and drained its contents. Now he could focus his eyes on her and absorb the scene before him. He registered his daughter standing proudly before him with a second cup of coffee in her hands, a coned shape hat that read _Happy Father's Day_ strapped to her head, and a large card made out of light blue construction paper under her arm. He traded cups with her and took the card with a real smile before his eyes glided over to where his wife sat on the edge of their bed with a tired two-year-old girl, Yume, in her arms.

Tugging at Yuki's pajama sleeve, Emi drew Yuki's attention again while she cried, "Guess what, daddy? Our gift to you is to sleep in! Go back to sleep! We will let you sleep all day! Mommy said you don't have to come with us to visit Grandpa Katsuya or Great Grandpa! Mommy said you can sleep in all day!"

Tohru offered him a weak smile, watching him eye the two empty cups of coffee with disdain. Shifting the toddler seated in her lap to one arm, she used the other to tug Emi off of a frowning Yuki and offered him an apologetic pout. Cocking her head to the side, Emi peered quizzically at her mother who seemed to be holding her away from her father. With a huff, she yanked her hand out of her mother's and hopped back onto the bed when she remembered what she had strapped onto her head. Laughing, she slid the hat off her head and plopped it on top of Yuki's silvery locks and yanked the rubber band strap down to catch the bottom of his chin, but she released the elastic string too soon and it snapped against Yuki's nose. Yuki's head flipped back from the force, sending the paper hat to the ground, and a red mark was already visible before his hand could cover his face.

Tohru gasped worriedly and set a wide-eyed Yume on the edge of the bed as she hurried to Yuki's side. Emi slowly slid off the bed and scooted over to the corner of the room with her face twisted into a guilty expression with tints of concern while Tohru coaxed Yuki's hand from his face to examine the damage only to find her actions caused blood to begin dripping down his face. With her eyebrows furrowed, Tohru grabbed the tissue box off the end table and shoved a wad of tissues against his nose. Yuki shook his head with a small smile to let her know not to worry, though that usually never curbed any of her fears.

Regardless, the bleeding stopped within a minute and Yuki jumped to his feet with a sly smirk as he swept Yume into one arm and stepped towards Emi with a wicked grin and one eyebrow arched. Within a second, Emi darted out of the room screaming, and her shrieks caused her little sister to join in as Yuki chased his five-year old across the house. He finally cornered her in the kitchen, and the screams of the two sisters quickly faded into hysterics as Yuki hugged them both tightly, sweeping them off their feet as he stood.

Tohru followed them, shaking her head with an amused smile, and before she could blink, she too was trapped in Yuki's arms on the tips of her toes. He could only brush his lips against Tohru's for three seconds before two pairs of arms shoved them apart, and the two sisters chimed in together with a mutual "Ew," though Yuki doubted his youngest understood what that meant.

Pulling back out of the embrace just enough to see all of their faces, Tohru suggested with a smile, "Since we're all down here, why don't we eat breakfast?"

Yuki smiled in agreement, releasing his wife so she could grab the platter off of the counter as he set the two girls into their chairs at the kitchen table and claimed a seat for himself at the end. Tohru set the first plate before him, and he smiled when he saw the heart shaped pancakes with "Happy Father's Day" spelled out in syrup and another small heart cut out of butter.

**I am not deaddddd! :D Sorry, I admit I did not really edit so if you forgot since I haven't updated in almost a year, I want you to correct my mistakes. Please tell me what you think c: And I should be writing more. I have a bunch of oneshots started so I should be updating weekly. **


	15. Claustrophobia

Title: Claustrophobia

Summary: Yuki and Tohru get stuck in the school's new elevator, and Tohru discovers a fear of Yuki's and seeks to comfort him.

Genre: Romance/ Friendship

Rating: K+

Word Count: 2,117

At Kaibara high school, a new addition was causing quite a stir. This week, the newly installed elevator had opened for student use, and since the first morning, lines of students waiting to use the elevator extended across the school nearly from the start to end of the school day, leaving the multiple stairways completely empty and void of people, even though this caused most students to arrive late to class. As all new things relentlessly used, however, the elevator was bound to break. While Yuki and Tohru usually took the stairs to the second floor, today, they had arrived at school later than usual because Yuki had refused to get up, so they wound up in the elevator, which had no line surprisingly, possibly because class started in a minute, furiously pressing the button with a number two printed on it.

Nervously, they both glanced down at their watches as the doors slid close, and the elevator lurched. Flailing her arms as she lost her balance, Tohru let out a small cry as she began to fall, but before she could even come close to hitting the ground, Yuki caught her easily, albeit a tad awkwardly with his arms fully extended to prevent an accidental transformation. A second after her cheeks began to turn a bright red and she choked out a thank you, he set her upright abruptly and seemed to turn away. Facing the corner of the elevator, Tohru self-consciously straightened her skirt as she tried to make her blush fade, but as soon as the scarlet color seeped away, the school bell made her pale as the rest of the color in her face seemed to vanish, and if she could get any paler, she did when she realized the elevator wasn't moving.

Turning to Yuki with her mouth agape, she stuttered, "We're not moving, Yuki-kun!"

"Huh?"

He turned around with alarmed eyes. Stepping towards the elevator doors, he pressed every possible button ten times each before banging his fist against the door. Then noticing the bright red button to his right, he focused all of his energy on pressing that to call for help. Tohru could have sworn he pressed it about a hundred times in a minute. Worriedly watching him, Tohru momentarily forgot to panic about being stuck in an elevator. She had never seen Yuki act like this in the two years that she had known him. He always seemed to maintain an air of nonchalance regardless of what happened, but at the moment, he appeared to be struggling to keep his calm more than she did

"Yuki-kun, are you okay?" she asked nervously, concern evident in her quivering voice.

Yuki froze with his finger still extended towards the button and slowly turned back around to face her, but he kept his eyes towards the ground. He took several deep breaths to calm himself, but she guessed they didn't help because he started to tremble. He seemed to be trying to steady his shaking by leaning against the metal walls of the elevator when he dared to raise his eyes toward her. His lips were lowered in a deep frown and his eyes held what she could only identify as utter fear, an emotion she hadn't seen tormenting him since their encounter with Akito. Alarmed, Tohru took a step forward and reached towards him, but she couldn't get another word out before he spoke.

"I'm f-fine, Honda-san, but I'm afraid that we'll be here for a while," he breathed quietly.

Tohru tried to approach him again, but he appeared to be trying to avoid her, despite the cramped area. He had backed into the little corner, and his breathing seemed to have quickened. With her eyebrows furrowing deeper by the second, Tohru tried to take his hand, but before even their fingertips could make contact, the dim light of the elevator flickered off. Screaming, she jumped and grasped both of Yuki's hands. When she landed, she heard two thuds, and then she noticed how tightly he was gripping her hands. She couldn't even blink before concern overtook her momentary terror. Somehow slipping one of her hands out of his, she placed her hand over his forehead, concerned by the sweat and the coolness she felt under her palm.

"Yuki-kun? Are you sure you're okay?" she queried in an alarmed voice.

"Sorry, Honda-san," he choked in a voice that she couldn't quite make out.

He released her hand, and when she reached her hand forward again, she could only grasp air until her fingers finally brushed against the cold metal wall of the elevator. Blindly, she inched forward, dragging her feet forward a few millimeters and waving her arms about until her left foot nudged something solid yet softer than the elevator walls. Carefully, she lowered herself into a crouching position, keeping her arms outstretched. Her fingers eventually brushed against tufts of soft hair. Sliding her hands down, she found that Yuki had dropped to the ground with his legs pulled up against his chest, his face buried between his knees, and his hands pressed firmly against his ears. He was shaking again. Worse than before. She could hear raspy breaths claw their way out of his throat. Her heart wrenched and her eyes burned as she tried to ease his tense hands from his face.

"T-This is… just like _that _room…" he confessed in a choked voice barely above a whisper.

Tohru blinked in incomprehension for a mere second before she noticed that the tremors rocking his body had increased. Gingerly and with tears breaking their way down her cheeks, Tohru finally managed to slip one hand off of his face. She wrapped her hand tightly around his before he could snatch his hand back, and she squeezed his fingers. Realization struck her, forcing floods of tears through and making her quiver with him. She drew nearer to nearer to him until she could no longer tell whether those were her tears or his, almost wrapping her arms around him instinctively, but she stiffened before her hands could leave his. She wished, she prayed, she begged for some deity or greater force to allow her to hug him for this one moment, and when none did, she decided to embrace her petrified friend regardless.

She could feel him pressed against her for only half a minute as her arms locked tightly around his back, but that was long enough for her to feel some tension drain from his body though he couldn't wrap his arms around her, let alone react to the embrace, before a cloud of smoke burst into the room and he shrunk and morphed into a small gray rat that Tohru somehow managed to catch in the dark with her limited reflexes before he hit the ground. She cradled him gently with both of her hands, staring into his shocked, practically glowing eyes, for a second before pressing him tightly against herself in a close hug.

With his furry face burrowed against the soft cotton of Tohru's school uniform top, Yuki could hardly breathe. Regardless, his current state slowly began to dawn on him. A blush, which probably didn't show due to the darkness and the thick fur covering his body, crept across his entire body as Tohru's arms pressed him closer to her chest, and he realized he couldn't even remember why he had been so scared before or even what terror felt like. He still recalled, luckily, that he needed to breathe to live, and as his mouth was buried so deep in the fabric of her outfit that he couldn't part his lips to speak, Yuki began to struggle in her arms, squirming and wiggling his limbs, though careful not to scratch her with his claws, in attempt to get her to loosen her grip. She instantly released him, drawing him back into the palm of her hands with a frantic look on her face that the beady nocturnal eyes of his rat form helped him make out let him know that she had misinterpreted the reason for his struggle.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to transform you without asking, but I just thought this way everything might not be as scary! I mean everything seems bigger and roomier now since you're so tiny, right?" Tohru squeaked apologetically, "I mean it's still dark, but don't worry! I-I can find my cell phone!"

She shifted him to rest in one palm while she used her other hand to rummage through her backpack for her phone. During her hasty search, Yuki bounced up and down on her hand and had to cling on to her pinky finger, the only finger he could wrap his paws around, to keep himself from flying off and crashing into one of the hard metal surfaces of the elevator.

"-da-san! Honda-san!" he called repeatedly until she finally froze and turned her gaze back towards him.

"I-I am fine now. Don't worry…" he trailed off, suddenly losing his articulateness.

She grinned so brightly and began rambling "Yes! Being this little does make the elevator seem roomier, doesn't it? Not that I would know how it feels to be a rat, but I am happy, Yuki-kun, that you aren't scared anymore!"

He didn't add that his rodent eyes also helped the room seem less dark because while she was right that he wasn't scared any longer, she had come to the wrong conclusion. The vanquishing of his fright had nothing to do with his smaller size or his new eyes but with the warmth and care he could feel radiating from her hands and arms, and though he couldn't be quite sure, maybe the love radiating from her eyes. He wondered if she could see the smile that soon overtook his face and that could have rivaled hers if rats could smile without appearing to bare their fangs in defense. Perhaps he preferred to leave her oblivious, since she just hugged him again, probably trying to erase the last remnants of fear she believed still lingered behind, but he knew the last speck of trepidation had long since dissipated the second her arms wrapped around his back.

Both too absorbed in holding onto each other, Tohru with both her hands covering Yuki's tiny body and pressing him against her and Yuki with his inch-long arms trying their best to embrace her, though really he could only stretch a little over a three-inch span, neither noticed the commotion outside, despite the frantic yells and poundings until two slabs of metal finally slid apart and a blinding ray of bright fluorescent light poured in through a thin two inch crack. Shocked, Tohru scrambled to her feet, covering the rat with both of her hands when a figure blocked the light for a moment, shrouding them in darkness for another second before the other figures outside pulled the doors fully open. Blinking and squinting, Tohru could almost make out the three people before her as two maintenance men and a firefighter.

"Are you all right, miss?" the firefighter asked.

"Um… Yes! I am fine!" Tohru squeaked nervously, noticing how all three of them were looking at the awkward position of her hands to cover Yuki.

"Was there anyone else in there with you?" the taller of the two maintenance men inquired with a puzzled expression, "I thought I heard two voices."

"N-NO!" Tohru accidently shouted before frantically adding, "Just me! No one else! I was all alone! Just talking to myself! And I am late for class! I better go! Thank you! Sorry for troubling you!"

The last of Tohru's exclamations were called over her shoulder as she scurried away, trying to keep Yuki hidden until she rounded the corner and was positive none of the men had bothered to follow her. Collapsing on a nearby bench, Tohru set Yuki down beside her before she began to suck in deep breaths, tired from her run and their close encounter with their saviors. Yuki crawled closer to her and climbed onto her knee, worriedly patting her with his paws and peering up at her, but before he could express his sentiments, Tohru suddenly stood, sending him flying across the hallway and rolling across the cold tiles until he finally crashed into the wall. Tohru didn't seem to notice as she dashed away, back towards where they came from, screaming something that sounded like an apology about leaving his uniform in the elevator, but he didn't have much time to consider her words. He suddenly transformed back, sprawled awkwardly in the middle of the hallway, completely nude, as the bell rang and classroom doors started to swing open.


	16. Self Defense

Title: Self-Defense

Summary: Yuki has been trying to teach Tohru self-defense for the past few weeks, and an accident leaves him bruised and the rest of Japan wondering.

Genre: Romance/ Friendship

Rating: T

Word Count: 4,080

For the past three weeks, Yuki and Tohru had been meeting at midnight after she returned from work. They'd sit together for a while first, allowing Tohru to rest and get a snack, then head out to a small clearing a quarter of a mile into the forest behind the old-fashioned house they lived in with Shigure and Kyo.

Although Yuki and Kyo always tried to pick Tohru up from work since she worked so late at night and though at least one of them usually did accompany her on her walks home, Yuki still worried about Tohru walking home alone at night, or anywhere for that matter. Tohru was too trusting and kindhearted for her own safety. She was more likely to approach a suspicious prowler than to scream, and with her grace, an attempt to run away would likely endanger her more, so Yuki decided to train her, and though Tohru was wary of anything involving violence, he had somehow managed to convince her to learn self-defense.

So far, Yuki had only managed to teach Tohru how to break out of various holds due to her reluctance to learn how to hurt an enemy. Even though he had talked her into trying a few punches and kicks, he could barely persuade her into using enough force to at least hurt a fly. Although her progress dismayed him a bit, he persisted in teaching her the correct formations and stances in hopes that if she were to encounter a situation requiring self-defense, she'd actually use the needed force to escape, so here he stood, helping her form a fist, regardless of how her fingers were so loosely gripped that he could have pried them apart with a brush of his pinky.

Evidently, with her lack of willingness to use much prowess, Yuki had let his guard down, though he shouldn't have since they were in the middle of the forest where strange prowlers could have been wandering, the kind of ones Yuki was trying to get Tohru to defend herself against. Yet he had let his guard almost completely down, so when Tohru jumped into her fighting stance with her fist extended and slipped on a small rock, he wound up throwing his left eye into her fist as he tried to catch her. Despite his efforts, he hadn't even managed to keep her upright, and she knocked him to the ground. Though, her fist held her off of him, so he didn't transform, this dug her knuckles deeper into his eye.

Maybe her grip was better than he had assumed?

She, of course, jumped off of him as soon as she realized what had just transpired, hopping around frantically with her hands over her mouth, gasping and shrieking out incoherent apologies as he laid there, clutching his eye. It took her half a minute to settle down enough to kneel down beside him and help him sit up, supporting him with one arm around his back and her hand on his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, Yuki-kun! Are you okay? Does it hurt? Of course it hurts! I'm so sorry! I should have been more careful! Can you even see anymore?" Tohru cried.

"Yeah… I'm fine, Honda-san. Calm down," he muttered slowly.

He sat up straighter in attempt to reassure her that he wasn't dying as he slowly lowered his hand from his eye. Tohru cringed at the sight of his quickly darkening eye and at his wince as he tried to blink his left eye.

"Come, Yuki-kun! Let's go back inside! I'll get some ice for you!" Tohru suggested.

She offered him her arm, helping him to his feet. They walked slowly, and it took them twice as long to reach the house, and though Yuki's hand hadn't returned to his face to cover his eye, she noticed that every time the wind blew, he'd cringe, and the movement made him flinch with pain. Tohru's frown deepened by the second, and by the time they were in the kitchen, tears had begun to spill from Tohru's eyes. Under the bright fluorescent lights of the kitchen, Tohru could now see Yuki's swollen eye, the skin around it darkening from a dark pink to a purplish shade of dark blue. Quickly hurrying to the freezer, Tohru emptied the tray of ice into a small plastic bag and wrapped in a thin towel before pressing it against Yuki's eye gently. At first, Yuki drew away in pain, but soon the contact of the cool ice pack and the warm hand Tohru had pressed against the back of his head soothed him into a dull state of relaxation.

Once he decided to hold the ice pack himself, Tohru helped Yuki onto the sofa in the living room.

"Do you need anything else, Yuki-kun? A cup of tea? A snack? Pain medication? A new icepack?" Tohru offered.

Yuki shook his head with a slight smile, "I'm fine, Honda-san. Please don't worry about me. It's just a small bruise."

Glancing at the clock, he added, "But we should head to bed. We have school tomorrow."

Tohru nodded uneasily in reluctant agreement. She stood beside him, offering him her arm again, and he accepted with a small shake of his head, not because he really needed the help (he had had far worse during his childhood with Akito) but because he found he liked the feeling of her hand wrapped around his and because it lessened the frown that plagued her face a tad. She carefully led him upstairs, making sure he kept the ice pressed firmly against his face and that he took slow steps. Tohru paused to open the door for him and even eased him gently into bed, going as far as tucking him in, fluffing his pillows and pulling the covers to his chin. He didn't have the heart to tell her that he still needed to change into his pajamas and brush his teeth, so he just laid there, beaming at her.

"Goodnight, Yuki! Please feel better soon! Don't be afraid to call me if you need anything! Even if it's in the middle of the night!" Tohru told him with a determined fist raised.

"Goodnight, Honda-san. And please, don't worry. This is nothing. Just try to get some sleep," he assured her.

He could tell his words didn't have much of an effect on her worries. It took her two minutes to actually shut his door and another before he heard her own door open and close. She crept so slowly out of his room as if she were afraid her footsteps would make his eye swell more, and she looked back at least twenty times, and by the time she had actually stepped into the hallway, she had to peek in through the door for half a minute before she gingerly closed it. Though he believed her concern excessive, he'd be lying if he said he didn't appreciate it. Nobody had ever expressed this much concern over him, even when he was six and half-dead after one of Akito's beatings, so he had to smile, despite how the upturn of his lips strained the tender area around his eye.

When he awoke, the ice pack had melted, leaving a wet stain on his pillow and mattress, and he could only manage to open one eye. Bring his hand to his face, he found the area surrounding his eye had doubled in size. He flinched as his fingers grazed the skin. Sitting up, Yuki climbed to his feet and glanced at the small mirror in his room. He gawked at the sight. A giant mass of blue, red, and purple had overtaken his eye, forcing the lids squeezed shut. Grimacing, he tried to comb his long bangs over the left side of his face, but his light, silvery hair only seemed to make the bruise seem darker. His pale skin already drew enough contrast with the dark injury. With a sigh, he shook his head, sending his bangs back into place, and after changing into a clean uniform, he headed for the kitchen, knowing that Tohru would soon shriek with concern.

Said shriek made Shigure spit his mouthful of tea all over his newspaper.

When Shigure ran into the kitchen with an uncharacteristically serious expression across his face, Tohru had Yuki basically pinned against the refrigerator with a new ice pack pressed against his eye, hiding the injury from Shigure's prying eye. Seeing that no one was dead, a grin returned to Shigure's face, making Yuki roll his one free eye in annoyance. Tohru, however, didn't notice Shigure's entrance until he was behind her and spoke, which made her let out another small shriek and almost drop the ice pack.

"Run into the wall again, Yuki-kun?" Shigure asked with a chuckle.

"Shut up, Shigure," Yuki nearly snarled.

Tohru turned around towards Shigure, worriedly stating, "Shigure-san! Please don't tease Yuki-kun! This is all my fault!"

"Have you and Kyo been fighting again?" Shigure questioned with a frown of disapproval as he scanned his house for damage, assuming Tohru took blame for not mediating the fight better.

Before either Yuki or Tohru could clarify, Kyo walked into the house with a towel draped over his shoulders. He meandered into the kitchen to drink milk from the carton but was halted by Yuki and Tohru who blocked the refrigerator. Before he could get out a snarky comment to his nemesis, Tohru's hand slipped a bit, letting the ice pack slide down Yuki's face just long enough for Kyo and Shigure to notice the large bruise before Tohru quickly readjusted the cool compress back into place. Kyo's brows furrowed and his mouth slowly opened as he quizzically stared at ice pack covering Yuki's eye.

"What, you stupid cat?" Yuki queried with his eyebrow raised in annoyance.

"Did I finally hit you?" Kyo asked, somewhat in a daze.

"No. You've never managed to hit me before. You're too weak, stupid cat," Yuki snapped at Kyo angrily before adding, "I was training Honda-san so she can protect herself. She accidentally fell, and her fist landed in my eye."

"Oh. Tohru-kun beat you up. Much better, Yuki-kun," Shigure chuckled.

Yuki pulled the ice pack off his forehead and whipped it at Shigure's face, hitting him in the forehead. Tohru squeaked, flipping her head between Shigure, who had dramatically dropped onto the kitchen floor and was rolling around and whimpering, and Yuki, who was currently stalking out of the room with his hands clenched into fists. After another second passed, she spun around, grabbed the freezer handle and quickly made two ice packs, shoving one into Shigure's outstretched hand before dashing after Yuki. When Shigure and Kyo joined them a minute later, Tohru had managed to convince Yuki to sit down at the table and had the ice pack pressed against his face. Shigure gave them a suggestive grin and winked, though only Yuki could see since Tohru had her back towards the kitchen doorway. Yuki's one showing eye narrowed into a glare at Shigure, but Tohru mistook it for a wince and shifted the ice pack worriedly.

"Maybe you should stay home from school today, Yuki-kun," she suggested.

"I'm fine, Honda-san. A bruised eye is not going to kill me," he replied.

By the growing frown across her face, he could tell that idea did not please her though she did back away to let him tend to the injury himself, but that didn't stop her from rushing back to the kitchen, bringing back the platter of food she had just finished preparing before he came downstairs, and serving him food, arranging everything for him and even cutting his pancakes for him. He could tell that Shigure was trying to muffle his laughter by the way he held his ruined newspaper before his face, and he would have beat his older cousin if Tohru hadn't been kneeling beside him, holding a fork out to him with her eyes practically watering in guilt. With a soft sigh, he took the utensil from her, purposefully grabbing her hand before and giving it the best reassuring squeeze he could manage. It seemed to help somewhat as she turned back to her breakfast and began to eat, managing to only glance at him every minute rather than every ten seconds.

He had to assure her over ten times that he could go to school by the time they finished washing the dishes, three more times as they were putting on their shoes to leave, twenty times on their walk to school, and another five times while they were walking past the school doors. When they were finally inside and heading towards their lockers, she had settled for uneasily staring at him, which happened to be what everyone in the school had started doing the moment he had set foot through the school gates. Noting the strange and somewhat alarmed gazes following him, he started wondering why he had been so adamant earlier about going to school. He could have skipped a day without missing too much, and perhaps those twenty-four hours would reduce the swelling enough so that he could actually open his left eye and lighten the bruise just enough that one couldn't notice it from the other end of the hallway.

With a loud mental groan, Yuki buried his head in his locker, dragging out books as he hid the left side of his face behind the small metal door. He tried to shove his head in deeper when he heard several pairs of loud footsteps draw nearer, but his head wouldn't fit inside, so he settled for smacking his head against the top of his locker when the footsteps stopped a foot behind him, causing Tohru to turn towards him, concern evident in her large eyes as she shut her locker that was conveniently two lockers away from his.

Yuki slowly turned around to face the four girls that stood there, chanting a rather annoying song that stopped as soon as they saw his face, despite how he tried to keep only his right side before them. They gasped in unison, dramatically raising shaking hands to their gaping mouths and taking two wobbly steps backwards.

"Prince Yu-Yuki! What happened to you?"

"It was an accident," he answered simply.

They didn't seem to notice how Tohru's head was bowed apologetically or the mumbled strew of apologies spurting forward from her downturned lips.

"Do you need us to get revenge for you?"

"We wouldn't want you to get hurt anymore! You're just so delicate!"

"Yes! We can protect you-!"

"I don't need your protection. I'm not delicate, and I already told you; it was an _accident_," he retorted coolly, in a sharper tone than he had intended.

For a moment, there was only silence in what seemed like the whole school. Even Tohru stopped bowing to peer up at the silver-haired boy beside her. Only because she knew him so well, Tohru could see the slight drip in Yuki's nearly straight lips and the slight wrinkles creasing his forehead due to the minutely furrowed eyebrows that made his expression regretful rather than infuriated, though she had to admit his expression contained more than a taint of annoyance. Though perhaps it was hard to read Yuki's emotions clearly, the feelings of the four fan girls and the rest of the school were easily identifiable as shock with their round, large eyes and their lowered jaws, and in the fan girls' cases, traces of hurt evident in their downcast, watering eyes. Yuki opened his mouth to respond, to apologize, to absolve himself with excuses of lacked sleep, annoying cousins, and pain, but the school bell rang, and they were all ushered into class, where he only received more stares.

Of course, the comments and questions had to wait until lunch for as curious as Mayu was, she didn't pause her lectures for what she knew would be a long distraction, but that didn't deter anyone's wandering mind, and as soon as the bell rang for lunch, Uo was the first to blurt out from beside Tohru before anyone could even drop their pencils or Mayu could finish her last sentence.

"Woah! Prince! What happened to your eye? You and orange-head get into a fight again? Or did your fan girls lose control?" Uo questioned with a smirk.

"I sense guilt from Tohru-kun," Hana commented nonchalantly, quietly enough that only Tohru and Uo could hear.

"Pfft! Don't tell me! Tohru beat you up?" Uo snickered with her thumb thrust towards a shrunken Tohru.

"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! It's all my fault!" Tohru squeaked.

Before any of the students could fully process the implications of Uo's careless words and Tohru's sputtering, Tohru had hopped to her feet and had started bowing in Yuki's directions again. Yuki grimaced, sinking his face into his palm with a muffled groan. Tohru took this as a negative sign and bowed more frantically as the other students began muttering to one another with suspicious glances towards the pair in the center of the room. Hearing at least one vow of vengeance against Tohru, Yuki finally stood, grasping Tohru's hand in his and dragging the shocked girl who hadn't completely stopped bowing out of the room and out the school, abandoning their belongings in the room. She remained silent out of bewilderment, stumbling and tripping behind him until he finally let them stop behind the school in a deserted area by the dumpsters.

"Honda-san, please stop apologizing. I don't blame you. And this isn't good for either of us. This is just going to start rumors," he told her firmly.

"Sorr-" she started but he cut her off, placing his index fingers against her mouth.

He shook his head, repeating, "Please stop apologizing. It's not your fault."

She nodded, and he removed his finger from her lips and his hand from hers when he noticed how dangerously red her face grew, though not after smiling to himself in a somewhat proud manner. He'd never seen her blush so, not even for Kyo, but he didn't have much time to praise himself before Uo and Hana tracked them down, carrying their forgotten lunches in tow, and demanded the full story from them. So, despite the stench of garbage, the small group settled by a large tree nearby to eat. Yuki let Tohru tell the story between bites and apologetic glances his way. He only piped in occasionally to correct her depiction of herself as a cruel monster who had pummeled him to the ground, too busy checking their surroundings for anyone who might have spotted them to add in much else.

Though Uo obnoxiously broke out in hysterical laughter and even Hana smiled in amusement, Yuki was grateful they learned the story. Their presence kept everyone at bay, keeping those offering muted comments and snickers from confronting him with dramatic proclamations of despair and grief for his injury or outright jabs at his masculinity and those seeking harm against Tohru from coming within twenty feet of her, but they didn't save him when he was alone, sneaking into the student council room. He didn't have a meeting today. He had just left a notebook in there and needed it for tonight's assignments and prayed to get out without running into anyone, but with how today was going, he shouldn't have expected to be that lucky, so it shouldn't have surprised him when he found Manabe awakening from a nap inside just as he was about to slip out the door safely with his journal.

Although his eyes drooped with their usual sleepiness upon waking from his deep naps in the student council rooms, Manabe didn't require his usual half an hour or even his typical aggressive eye rubbing before he hopped up, eyes glimmering with shocking recognition as he bounded over to Yuki, grabbing him by the shoulders with both his hands and dragging a reluctant Yuki away from the door before he could pass through and escape.

Yuki deeply regretted not beating him and running out before Manabe opened his mouth.

"Ah! Yun Yun! I heard you got in a fight with your girlfriend! If she's abusing you, you really should end it, you know?" Manabe advised him with an almost serious look across his face.

Yuki offered a sarcastic laugh before his fake smile deepened into a malicious scowl. He tossed his prized notebook aside and grabbed the nearest desk, whacking the student council vice president with it. Neither the chair, the desk, nor the unconscious brunette male could clatter to the ground before Yuki had picked up his journal and slammed the door shut.

After a few more punches and getting a week's worth of detention after a mild scolding from the principal (a week only because the principal didn't exactly believe the accusations that the class president had been beating people up all day), Yuki was finally seated in his room with nothing to deal with but the usual piles of homework and his pestering cousins (all of whom had decided to visit today with supposed concerns about his wellbeing, though he questioned the intentions of at least half whom he suspected had come to hear what they must have suspected to be an amusing story by the cackles he could hear from his room, though Tohru was seriously and guiltily telling the story in the living room downstairs each time).

He received no relief from their torturous concern, not even during dinner, despite how delicious the food was and how Tohru had decided to cook all his favorite foods, until midnight when all guests had finally decided to leave and he was finally alone in his room with his untouched homework.

He had only finished one assignment when Tohru knocked quietly on his door, bearing a tray of snacks and a cup of tea. She stepped inside meekly when he waved her in and carefully set the tray on his desk before uneasily stepping to the side, rubbing her left arm in clear discomfort.

"Are you feeling okay, Yuki-kun?" she queried.

"Yes, Honda-san. Don't worry."

"Does it still hurt? I can get you another ice pack if you need," she offered.

He shook his head, and there was a minute of silence before Tohru added, "Shigure told me something that might make you feel better."

He took a cookie but raised a quizzical eyebrow at her, untrusting of any advice from Shigure, but after eyeing the desperation dripping off of her large watery eyes and watching her nervously rock back and forth on the heels of her feet, he silently succumbed with a slight bow of his head. She practically jumped up with joy, clapping her hands together in excitement, but as soon as she took a step towards him, she seemed to falter, stumbling closer to him than he had expected. He opened his mouth to question her actions, but her quivering lower lip begged silence from him. With a quiet sigh, he closed his eyes, and he could practically feel some tension ease from the room.

He waited for what seemed like an eternity until he felt something wet and soft press against his swollen eyelid. Jumping back in shock, his eyes shot open, and his jaw hung open in shock. It didn't take long for most of the blood in his body to shoot to his face, darkening every inch of skin in site. He almost fell out of his chair, but Tohru only seemed to grin at him, despite the matching blush across her face. Despite her clear embarrassment, she brought her face close to his, staring in his wide eyes, and then it hit him.

His _eyes_.

"Wow! I didn't think kisses worked that well! I had always just assumed mom did that just to make me stop crying! And to think it actually works!" Tohru cried with obvious exuberance.

She grasped his arms, tugging him out of his seat in a celebratory manner, but she seemed to catch him off guard for the next thing she knew his nose collided with her chin, sending her head back and a gush of blood from his nose. As a frantic Tohru grabbed a handful of tissues from the tissue box he kept on his desk, he could only wonder if she really needed to learn how to defend herself.

**I was supposed to put this up half an hour ago on my birthday, but alas. Laziness. Enjoy. **


	17. Week 160: Alt Epilogue to The Result

Title: Week 160: (Alternative Epilogue to The Result)

Summary: Yuki discovers an article about Tohru's former obstetrician and gynecologist in the newspaper that turns their perfect world upside down and then sideways.

Genre: Romance/ Family

Rating: T

Word Count: 1,803

Their day began as a typical Sunday morning. Tohru hovered before the stove, making breakfast, and Yuki sat at the kitchen table, skimming a newspaper with Emi seated on his lap. Emi occasionally snatched a page of the newspaper out of his hand to scribble on with her bright red marker and then toss aside after the black and white paper bled with red scratches. Perhaps it wasn't normal, however, since Yuki had decided to wake up before Tohru had to send their two-and-a-half-year-old daughter up to jump on him until he decided to get out of bed with his arms raised in surrender, and maybe that should have signaled to Tohru that she would soon receive some shocking news that would overturn her perfect world, but she obliviously hummed to herself as she started to set the table and serve breakfast.

Once she had finished cutting up a pancake for Emi, Tohru lifted the small toddler off of Yuki's lap and set her into her high chair, allowing Yuki to salvage the news article he had been trying to keep out of Emi's reach and away from the tip of her marker. Tohru didn't have the opportunity, however, to ponder over Yuki's strange absorption in the article- he usually just browsed through the headlines while he waited for food. She had to focus on helping Emi eat as her daughter was trying to shove fistfuls of the fluffy breakfast into her mouth at a time. She had barely gotten Emi to pick up her small, plastic fork and take smaller bites that could actually fit in her mouth before Yuki grasped her shoulder to get her attention, turning her around to face him with an unreadable expression across his face.

"Tohru, was she, by any chance, the gynecologist that diagnosed your _condition_?" he asked, pointing to a picture of a middle-aged woman in the newspaper.

"Yes, she was. Why?" Tohru queried in response.

She peered quizzically at the familiar face in the picture, trying to find answers as to why her gynecologist was in the paper without lifting both her eyes a few inches to skim the bold printed headlines. Yuki frowned as he laid the article across the table for Tohru to read.

"Apparently that condition doesn't exist. Your gynecologist and our former obstetrician were running some sort of scam with baby product companies to increase pregnancies," Yuki explained warily.

Seeing her face pale and her arms freeze, partly outstretched toward the newspaper, Yuki could feel his heart stop as the color similarly drained from his face in alarm. Maybe he should have waited until she had something in her stomach before he told her? After all, she had been mentioning that she hadn't been feeling well for the past few days. As her eyebrows knitted together in disbelief and pain, she gaped at the bold words on the page, repeatedly reading the lines over and over again.

Worried, Yuki gripped her arms tightly. Quickly leaping out of his seat, he urged her onto the wooden chair, and she just sat there, staring blankly at the article. Panicking, he stepped over to the sink and filled up a glass of water only to have it crash to the ground when it slipped through Tohru's shaky fingers when he tried to give it to her. He could only mentally thank Emi for making a hobby of climbing onto the table and knocking over everything, making them convert all their silverware to plastic ones so there was no shattered glass on the ground, before Tohru glanced up at him.

"W-What does that mean?" Tohru choked out in a shaky voice.

"That there's nothing wrong with your… reproductive system. You can still get pregnant," he answered a bit uncomfortably.

Tohru remained silent at this point, clutching the thin sheet of paper before her with trembling hands. She opened her mouth a few times as if to protest in anger or weep in desperation but quickly pressed her lips back together before anything coherent could spew forth. A minute later, she pressed her top teeth into her quivering bottom lip in attempt to calm herself enough to fully process this new knowledge, but her actions only seemed to make her lip turn white and to speed the accumulation of tears building behind her dark brown eyes. Scrambling to find how to comfort her and starting to regret not letting Emi scribble all over this newspaper page, Yuki shifted from foot to foot, standing beside Tohru before setting his hand on her shoulder with a grimace when he noticed the tears that had begun to trickle out of the corners of her eyes when she lowered the paper.

"W-Why would they lie like this?" she weakly questioned.

"Money. Another pregnant woman is another patient for an obstetrician, and another baby means more products sold…" he trailed off, feeling as if he were corrupting Tohru's naïve view of the world.

"…I-I didn't have to have Emi. I didn't have to be pregnant in high school. I didn't have to go through all of that so fast. I-I…" she stuttered, her eyes widening by the second and the streams of tears running down her cheeks steadily increasing.

"No, no you didn't," he confirmed, not sure what else he could say.

"But I love Emi."

"I love her too."

Emi turned at the sound of her name, pausing her pancake hunt to peer at her parents. Tilting her head to the side in confusion and blinking her large gray eyes, Emi furrowed her eyebrows and pursed her sticky lips in obvious displeasure at the sight of her mother's tears. Dropping the crushed pancake fraction from her chubby fingers, Emi thrust her arms forward in Tohru's direction. When neither Yuki nor Tohru took her out of the high chair or even spared a look in her direction, Emi began to flail her arms about in frustration and squeaked impatiently until she accidentally knocked half a pancake onto Yuki's bare foot. Though he sent her a stern glare, he was sure that Tohru's picking Emi up and setting her on her lap was what really settled her down enough to quietly lick the crumbs of pancake and syrup off her face and fingers while her parents turned back towards one another.

"I don't know how I feel about this, Yuki-kun," Tohru admitted, gently stroking Emi's soft brown locks.

"That's fine," he assured her.

"I think I'm angry. Because of this, everyone ridiculed me in high school for being pregnant. That hurt so much. And I wasn't ready to have a baby yet! I was only sixteen!" Tohru exclaimed.

"We can sue them, if you want. There's a number to call to report this," Yuki added, extending a finger to direct her attention to a phone number written in a bold box at the bottom corner of the page.

"But I don't want to sue them. I'm… I'm also grateful. Without them, I would have never had Emi, my beautiful, lovely daughter, and I wouldn't have you. I wouldn't have this perfect life I have now," she breathed.

"You've always had me," he murmured.

Tohru ignored him with a slight shake of her head before continuing, "And it's not like they jeopardized me or Emi. They helped me have a successful pregnancy, and everything went fine. I think I might just be happy because this means Emi doesn't have to be my only daughter. This means we can have another child if we wanted."

"Yeah. We could."

"Wow… This… this is wonderful news," she smiled, blinking away her tears.

She lifted her eyes to meet Yuki's and Emi's matching eyes with a bright grin. Yuki could only smile when Emi grabbed the last surviving newspaper page from Tohru's arms and scrunched it up, smudging the inky letters with syrup and saliva before Yuki himself could slide it out of Tohru's fingers and dispose of it himself. He chuckled under his breath and lifted Emi out of Tohru's grasp and brought her to the sink to rinse off her dirty hands before setting her back in her high chair to finish her breakfast. He then slinked back over to Tohru and draped an arm around her shoulders and planted a kiss on her cheek, obviously relieved by her optimistic reaction. Her cheeks flooded with color momentarily only to drain of it a second later when she hopped to her feet with wide eyes and her mouth agape.

"Oh! Oh…" Tohru gasped.

"What? What's wrong, Tohru?" Yuki questioned, instinctively scanning the room for danger.

"Y-you know how I haven't been feeling well these past couple of days?" she started hesitantly.

"Yes? What about it-"

"I don't think that it's the flu anymore," she choked out in a whisper.

Time seemed to pass lethargically, seconds feeling like minutes as he slowly cranked his head over to Tohru's and locked eyes with her. He seemed to be processing this realization at different rates in different parts of his being. His heart seemed to acknowledge this fact quite easily, quickening its beats in a mixture of shock, anxiety, and excitement, yet his mouth wanted to scream out in disbelief, and he felt a slight haze as his brain buzzed blankly while his eyes softened at the sight of a similar set of mixed emotions across Tohru's face. Despite their obvious incredulity, a grin soon dominated Tohru's face, and Yuki's heart seemed to calm the slightest bit and his brain cleared enough for the news to sink in. He wasn't sure if it was forced, but he smiled nonetheless as he helped Tohru to her feet, lightly grasping her elbow.

"Let's go to the drug store," he suggested breathlessly.

They both rushed out of the house, discarding their breakfast on the table. Hurrying into the car, they tossed the doors open and practically threw themselves into their seats, but Yuki couldn't even start to shove the key into the ignition before they both turned around to the backseat to find the car-seat empty.

They both gasped, "Emi!"

Quickly unbuckling their seatbelts, they both darted out of the car, wrestling with keys and doors before stumbling back inside to the kitchen to find their child sucking on her syrupy fist obliviously. With a relieved smile, Tohru lifted Emi out of her seat, hugging her tightly and ignoring the sugary liquid that soon soaked through her white blouse. Yuki's arms soon followed, trapping Emi in a two-way embrace, while Emi struggled in vain to return to her syrupy plate. So Emi was left, whimpering with her arms up-stretched and her breakfast at arms length for about five minutes until she was finally lifted up and taken further away from her breakfast as her parents buckled her into her car seat.

**Started ages ago. I apologize for the affliction I have known as laziness. I am about two oneshots behind. I intended to update at least weekly, but we can all see that I am failing. I hope this makes the story line in The Result a little more plausible? Thank you for reading. **


	18. Insomnia

Title: Insomnia

Summary: Drabble. Reflections on Yuki's past insomnia that triggered his catatonic zombie state in the mornings and how one girl cured it, though perhaps that wouldn't last much longer.

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/Hurt/Comfort

Word Count: 1,946

Perhaps Yuki Sohma's most famous trait was his deep sleeps. He could fall asleep just about anywhere, in any position, under any condition, and once he was out, it was near impossible to wake him and get away unscathed. He slept through the most treacherous storms, even if he had fallen asleep outside during a tsunami, the loudest noises, even if he slept beside train tracks with their engines roaring and their sirens blaring, and the most dangerous stunts, even when Kyo came, bursting into his room, knocking down the door, and attacked him with his fists blared. Tohru Honda was perhaps the only person in existence with the capabilities to wake him without getting hurt or damaging anything or anyone else, but even then, one had to guilt her into disturbing what she considered peaceful slumber.

No one understood why he slept so heavily yet seemed so defensive in his sleep. This sleeping anomaly baffled everyone, yet no one bothered to seek answers since it didn't really harm anyone, except for Kyo whenever he tried to wake him. Regardless, Tohru fretted, though she worried about everything. She hoped he got enough sleep. Most nights, he stayed up later than she did, and she didn't get home from her part time job until after eleven at night. If she ever needed to use the bathroom or get a drink from the kitchen in the middle of the night, light usually still shone brightly as it crept through the cracks around his door, even at four in the morning. In fact, she could usually still see his light blaring brightly when she got up at five every morning. Only rarely did she see his light off, and on those days, she could only assume the light bulb had burned out.

Every time she dared to open his door the tiniest crack to see why he hadn't gone to sleep yet, she'd find him buried in a chaotic mess on his bed with the lamp on his nightstand still on its brightest setting. He'd be sprawled across his bed, his limbs tangled in his sheets and his comforter across the room with a large text book still open across his chest and a few others scattered around his bed and his floor with crumpled papers everywhere else. Half of the time he had already changed into his pajamas, but sometimes, she'd find him passed out in his school uniform still, and occasionally, she'd find him seated at his desk with his head buried in his arms under his desk light.

Of course, she'd only find him like that towards the end of the night, when the moon started to fade and the sun started creeping above the horizon, casting a dim glow in his room, though she could hardly tell with all his lights still on. If she checked any earlier, when the stars twinkled brightly and darkness lingered through the hallways, she'd find him seated in his bed or somewhere with a book in his hands and his glasses perched on his nose, yawning sleepily yet refusing to settle under the covers and sleep though she tried to urge him to. Her arguments always left her sighing in defeat, and she'd retreat out of the room to go get him a snack from the kitchen before slinking back into her own room and flopping back onto her comfy bed with a deep frown.

For a while, she just assumed that he had too much school work to finish before he could sleep, seeing as he was the president of the student council and that he often stayed at school until dinnertime or even later. She knew he did most of the work the student council should have shared since he described the other members as lazy incompetents who only wanted to mess around, and she knew he had a lot of school work to finish since she was in the same class, and she assumed he spent a lot of time on each assignment and on studying since he received the highest marks in their class. He also somehow managed to keep his garden glowing a healthy green. It seemed only natural that he wouldn't have enough hours in a day to accomplish all this and manage to sleep a lot, and she was content with this belief until she happened to check on him one night when a thunder storm had caused them to lose their power.

She thought she'd find him seated at his desk with a flashlight, trying to finish some homework or holding a textbook up to the moonlight trying to study for a test, but instead, she found him curled up in the corner of his room, clutching a dim flashlight that kept flickering out. Tohru caught one glimpse of his face from the fading gold glow before the batteries died and shrouded the room back in darkness, but enough seconds had passed by to show her the beads of sweat that coated his face, intermingling with what she guessed were tears trickling out of the corners of his eyes, the small gap in his mouth against a deep set frown, and the violet storm of terror brewing in his wide eyes. Tohru vaguely noticed his white knuckles squeezing the handle of the flashlight and his other fingers digging nails into his palm as they closed into a fist. She saw him tremble. She saw him shake. She saw him sweeping his frantic gaze around the room with restless eyes, certain that he found signs of danger though they disappeared before he could pinpoint the source.

Even after she couldn't make out his form clearly in the darkness, she could hear his quick shallow breaths, and when her eyes adjusted to the faint moonlight streaming through his windows, she could see that he had pressed himself tighter into the corner.

He seemed so small with his knees bent against his chest, crouching down like that.

Alarmed, she rushed into his room, bounding over to him and taking his free hand in hers. She questioned his actions, in the gentlest voice she could muster despite the tremors. He had seemed fine when they were all together downstairs eating before the power went out. He had seemed fine when they rummaged through the house in search of candles and flashlights after they lost power. He had seemed fine, though slightly shaky, when he opened his door and went inside his room after biding her goodnight with the flashlight he was now clutching onto for dear life in his hand.

He didn't seem to hear her at first. Didn't even seem to register her presence in the darkness, though she could clearly see him, but she repeated her question softly until his unfocused eyes finally settled onto hers. Even then, it took him a minute before incoherent words began spewing from his mouth. She couldn't quite make sense of what he said at first. He muttered some strings of words.

_Worthless. _

_Useless. _

_Strange._

_Unwanted. _

_Tool._

_Freak._

_That dark room. _

_ Ugly, pathetic rat. _

_ Who would ever want to be your friend? _

And he rambled about thin black eyes swirling with malice and a small dark room that swallowed him. He choked when he described the pungent smell of buckets of black paint mixed with blood stains, some still wet and others long since dried. He sputtered about uncontrollable coughing fits, and the yelling and the screaming. The voices that echoed through his head in the darkness. Those eyes that haunted him in the darkness. That empty void that threatened to consume him in the darkness.

He coughed a few times and begged her not to send her back to the darkness, promising he'd be good if she'd take him home. The tears freely trailed down his cheeks now as he whimpered inconsolably, so she finally tossed her arms around him and held him as tightly as she could for those three seconds before a small 'poof' resonated. A small rat fell onto her lap, and the flashlight clattered to the floor. She took his rodent form into her arms and continued to hug him, murmuring soothing words and stroking his furry back until they both fell onto the floor, fast asleep.

She finally understood why he couldn't sleep at night. Finally understood why she never found his room dark. Finally understood why he walked around like a zombie and passed out throughout the house in the morning.  
Yuki Sohma was afraid of the dark and the monsters in his head that grew more vicious after the sun set.

Tohru awoke with dried tear trails across her face and an embarrassed rat trapped in her arms. She set him back down on his wood floor, on the small patch of sunlight, but not before promising to help him. So she found herself, many a night, staying with Yuki at night until he fell asleep, singing to him, telling him stories, or sometimes even dragging the spare futon into his room and staying with him all night. Occasionally she climbed into bed, sleeping with a small gray rat on her belly. With her, he found nothing to fear. She'd hold him until he felt safe, and he fell asleep easily.

Since that fateful power outage, the sleeping-terror-zombie-monster-best-not-to-touch, dubbed by Shigure, hardly reared his head anymore, though after Yuki and Tohru started dating, Shigure mercilessly teased them about their scandalous sleeping arrangements until Tohru nearly fainted of embarrassment.

After they wed, that monster had yet to return, along with the curse.

Yuki learned to appreciate the early mornings he had alone with Tohru.

Of course there were still some nights he couldn't fall asleep, but he didn't mind those rare incidents, like tonight.

Gazing at the slender form lying curled up beside him under a thin blanket, Yuki smiled, running his fingers through her damp hair that shimmered in the sliver slimmer of moonlight sifting through the fluttering curtains. Rolling onto his side, he slid closer to his wife, pressing himself against her warm back despite the summer heat. He laid his head against hers and burrowed his nose deep into the silky brown strands splayed across her pillow, inhaling the sweet scent of her strawberry shampoo and sweat, but coming from her, the musky aroma could be nothing other than heavenly. He planted a kiss gently on her ear lobe before slipping his arm around her rounding abdomen and drawing her against him. She twitched, reaching up to brush her hair away from her face, but otherwise continued to slumber. He grinned, listening to her slow breathing as he ran his fingers up and down her bulging stomach. Yuki could feel something shifting under Tohru's thin nightgown before he felt a tiny foot kick the palm he had above Tohru's navel. He muffled his laughs as more kicks and perhaps punches followed. When his mirth faded at last, he lifted his head quietly to peer at Tohru's closed eyes and gentle smile.

At times like these, he appreciated that Tohru rivaled him in her ability to sleep like the dead. It was the only time she let him fuss over the life swelling inside her without blushing and trying to squirm away from him in embarrassment. So for now, he didn't hate his bouts with insomnia as much anymore, but soon enough, he supposed, wails and sobbing would soon keep him up rather than nightmarish torments, but he doubted he'd mind so much. He just snuggled deeper into bed, staring into the darkness and holding Tohru, feeling none of his previous terror and continuing to smile to himself.

**Written two weeks ago, finally edited today. I apologize. This is like a combination of "Sleeping Beauty" and "Claustrophobia." I figure Yuki must have a lot of fears he keeps hidden, but as per usual, I cannot leave this angsty. I hope you enjoyed. Please correct my mistakes. **


	19. Sometimes

Title: Sometimes, I Think About You Just a Little Too Much

Summary: Yuki caught Tohru on his mind just a few too many times.

Genre: Romance

Rated: T

Word Count: 1,951

Her voice. It sang out to him like a muse, or possibly enchanted him like a siren. Whether she called him out for his destruction or not, he never knew, but he couldn't help reaching out for her. Just for another snippet of that voice. The voice that placated him in his dreams after a vicious nightmare. The only voice he responded to in the morning without the violent urge to destroy. The voice that kept him floating amongst the dreary, dark abyss of his cursed existence. He always found himself wandering towards that voice, regardless of its form. She could be talking, whispering, singing, humming, or merely just breathing, and she'd captivate him, ensnaring him in a lyrical rope and luring him to her side.

Her eyes. Those mahogany swirls, trapped behind eyelashes that seemed to curve up forever, always captured his own silver orbs, keeping them as prisoners until she turned away with a flushed face. He adored the depth of her eyes and how they darkened with severity to shadowy shades of umber and brightened to flashes of honey brown that seemingly danced with shimmering gleams of gold. He adored their imperfections too. How her left eye sat a millimeter higher than her right and how they were a tad too big for her face. They left an endearingly innocent and quizzical tweak to her otherwise jubilant expression. That jubilance sent glimmering rays to her eyes half-shut from the wide grin lifting her cheeks.

Perhaps those smiles of hers made the smooth, rose-colored, curved flesh of her lips all the more tantalizing. They reminded him of the ripe strawberries thriving in their secret base, and all the more, he wished to pluck them off her delicate face take a taste of what looked like the sweetest fruit he had ever seen. He watched them slowly open and close as she read a problem aloud to herself, fighting the urge to finger the small dip in her upper lip and the fiery desire to press his own against hers when her lower lip began to jut out in a small pout as she concentrated too hard on her studies, which reminded him…

He really meant to glance down at her spread out notebook and check over the math problems she was scrawling out, but she lifted her hand to sweep her hair from her face and he was lost again.

He watched as the silky tousle of hair settled behind her ear for a mere moment before a fan of hair spilled forward again as she leaned down towards her textbook, sending a auburn waterfall cascading past her shoulders and down into little pools on top of the table. He tried to ignore his twitching fingers that begged to run themselves through the shiny strands pouring down mere inches from their grasp. As his right hand started inching towards the russet silk, he quickly yanked it back with his left and shifted until he was sitting on top of both sets of fingers to keep them still. Yet that seemed hardly a help as his eyes wandered down the long winds of dark hair to her smooth, pearly skin.

He stared at her slender fingers wrapped around a yellow pencil as her hand glided over the blue-lined paper like a dancer, elegantly weaving and twirling with the writing utensil along the white page. He smiled at the chewed fingernails with the slightest hint of a light shade of pink nail polish and relished the memory of how they felt clasped in his own, the skin of her palms rough from work, yet soft and warm. So warm, loving, and inviting that he felt tempted to wrestle the pencil from her hand and claim the warmth as his again. So warm that he found his fingers extended towards her, seemingly of their own consent.

Startling back, Tohru queried with her eyes wide, "Yuki-kun? Is something wrong?"

"No, no!" he nearly shouted as he lowered his fingers away from her warm skin to gesture at her notebook as he added, "You did this all right."

Looking down at her paper, he followed his extended finger to the large square on the page filled with numbers and equations. Quickly he scanned her work, relieved when he found the answer to be correct after all. Tohru didn't seem to notice this as her smile broadened into a wide grin. Dropping her pencil, she too returned to peruse her work proudly as she reached forward, interlacing her fingers and stretching out her aching arms. She didn't know, but she was making his inner battle to concentrate exponentially more difficult when she turned her beaming face back towards him.

"Really?" she peeped almost hesitantly.

He could only manage a weak nod, realizing he was quickly losing this battle against himself thanks to Tohru's next actions.

"It's all thanks to you, Yuki-kun!" she exclaimed as she tossed her arms around his neck.

He could barely acknowledge her arms locked around his back before a cloud of smoke consumed him, and he felt a familiar shrinking sensation as he fell onto Tohru's lap. It took a minute before the smoke cleared enough that he could make out Tohru's flushed face, marred with an apologetic frown and creases of worry. He opened his small, furry mouth, but before he could even lift his paws off of her soft, navy skirt or even squeak, those two dainty hands he couldn't stop thinking about scooped him up.

"I'm so sorry!" she gasped.

Yuki had planned on mustering up something romantic, something charming to sweep her off her feet and head over heels for him or something else cliché to make her fall for him, but a poof of smoke interrupted his thoughts and sent him sprawling over her, knocking her down and pinning her onto the ground. Both too shocked to react, they both stayed there, perfectly still and wide-eyed. Hovering over her with his knees planted on the ground on either side of her and his hands buried deep in her long strands of hair on either side of her face, he grew conscious of his overwhelmed senses. Yuki sucked in a deep breath as tingles danced through his fingers threaded through her hair, his nostrils flared as her sweet aroma wafted around him in intoxicating swirls, and his eyes burned as they locked onto hers. He was deeply aware of the rise and fall of her chest with each silent breath and the brush of warm air that followed. Before he could lean down for a taste, however, a choked snicker interrupted his trance.

"I see this study session is going well."

Turning his head towards the doorway where his kimono-clad cousin stood leaning, Yuki's once wide eyes narrowed into a venomous glare as he shoved himself off of the poor girl trapped beneath him. Jumping to his feet, he stalked over to Shigure, grabbing the top of his kimono with a tight fist, tugging him nearer to his icy glower, a threat hidden deep in them that needed no words. After releasing Shigure with a shove into the doorway, Yuki marched up the stairs and into his room, not quite slamming the door behind him, but Tohru could hear the click of his lock as she slowly lifted herself onto her elbows, staring after where Yuki once stood.

"Yuki-kun?" she voiced hesitantly.

"Ah! Don't worry about him, Tohru-kun. He's just upset that I saved our precious flower," Shigure cooed, quickly recovering as he sent Tohru a sly grin.

Blinking in confusion, she shook her head with a light smile, deciding not to question another one of Shigure's responses that she couldn't quite grasp. Turning back towards her spread out books and papers, Tohru let out a sigh, and her smile faded into a frown of dismay. Gently shutting her textbooks and piling them neatly on the corner of the table, Tohru stood, dusting off her skirt before heading to the kitchen to start dinner since trying to do her homework without Yuki was as hopeless as his cooking. She couldn't help wondering about Yuki's reaction that afternoon as she made dinner though, fighting the fear that she had done something to offend him. An hour later, she was shocked to find dinner, steaming and smelling delicious, set on the table, despite her distracted mind.

Soon everyone had seated themselves at the table and were busily eating and chatting away, but Tohru could only notice how Yuki pointedly ignored her. He hadn't as much as looked at her since he came downstairs five minutes after Shigure and Kyo had already helped themselves to the platter of food. With her frown deepening with every second, Tohru could only push the food around on her plate and could hardly respond to Shigure and Kyo's inquiries. Dinner seemed to drag on for hours before Shigure and Kyo finally finished their third servings and returned to their rooms, leaving Yuki and Tohru at the table with an awkward silence hanging between them.

"I better get back to work. Thank you for dinner, Honda-san," he finally addressed her as he picked up his plate and stood.

Lifting her eyes towards him, Tohru could hardly hold back the tears as she noticed his half full dish. She had never seen him leave the table with anything other than an empty plate and a stream of compliments about her cooking that left her flushed from head to toe before, but now he only left her pale and guilty, so before he could take more than two steps away from her, she reached out and caught hold of the end of his shirt.

She couldn't tell if he had turned to face her since she kept her head bowed, but she cried regardless, "I'm sorry, Yuki-kun! I ruined our study session, didn't I? If you tell me what I did wrong, I promise I won't do it again."

He seemed to hesitate before she could feel him turn around, twisting the hem of his shirt around her fingers until he took her hand in his and responded slowly, "No, don't apologize, Honda-san. It's not your fault. It's not anything you did… It-It's everything you do…"

Tohru lifted her head at this, staring up at him with her eyebrows twisted in confusion. She could feel tears bubbling to the surface of her eyes, but he only gripped her hand more firmly, setting aside his dish and encasing her hand with both of his. Holding her hand close to himself, he took a step back in her direction. His actions left her more bewildered than before.

He took a deep breath before continuing, "It's not a bad thing, really. Well that depends on your interpretation, I guess."

A pause as he took a second to squeeze his eyes firmly shut.

"But it's just that sometimes I think about you just a little too much," he confessed too quickly.

He stroked her hand gently before releasing her fingers, letting them drop back down on her lap as he gave her a faint but embarrassed smile. In a rush, he then picked up the plate he had set down and turned back towards the kitchen, dropping off the dish before slinking off out the backdoor, leaving Tohru alone with her whirling thoughts and reddening skin.

"I think I think about you a lot too much, Yuki-kun," Tohru murmured to herself.

A small smile slowly spread across her face while outside, a similar smile and a similar blush spread across the pale face of a teenage boy lying down beside a small garden with a hand covering his face in disbelief.


	20. Not Romeo Called

Title: Not Romeo Called

Summary: Yuki and Tohru, and how their odd names brought them together.

Genre: Romance/Family

Rating: T

Word Count: 2,708

"_What's in a name? That which we call a rose__  
__By any other name would smell as sweet.__  
__So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,__  
__Retain that dear perfection which he owes__  
__Without that title."- Shakespeare_

Yuki never bothered with the other children at school. He couldn't befriend any of them. Akito had forbidden it, and his mother had given him to Akito a year ago, so he had to listen to Akito, even though Akito was only a few years older than he was. Thus, Yuki found himself seated on a bench before the playground during recess, idly swinging his legs back and forth as he watched the other kids race around, chasing each other and hopping around the equipment. Sighing with envy, he dropped his chin into his hands as his mouth sunk into a deeper frown. So absorbed in his own self misery, Yuki didn't even notice the little girl with pink barrettes in her small, brunette pigtails, who sat crying on the bench beside him, until three boys came racing past him and dumped handfuls of woodchips over the girl's head and onto her light pink dress.

"Why are you wearing a dress today, Tohru Honda?" one of the boys jeered.

"Yeah! Boys don't wear dresses, _Tohru_," another snickered.

"I know! Tohru-kun, you can trade outfits with Yuki-_chan_ over there!" the other shouted over his shoulder as the three raced away.

With wide eyes, Yuki stared at their retreating backs. To this day he wished he had confronted those boys. He wished he had yelled at him until he passed out from an asthma attack. He wished he hadn't been frail and shy so he could have stopped those bullies. Instead he just sat there, dumbfounded and clueless as he turned his gaze to the poor girl. Both her hands now covered her face as her silent cries became loud sobs that rocked her small frame. She hadn't even bothered to brush the woodchips off her clothes, even though he had seen her earlier, carefully avoiding puddles outside and the paint in art class to keep what he assumed was a new dress from getting dirty.

He had never spoken to her before, since she was a girl and all, but he had slid off his seat and started walking over to her before he could stop himself. By the time he knew what he was doing, he had already begun to pick off the larger woodchips from her hair. He found himself with an awkwardly formed smile and his arms frozen in between the two of them when she peered up at him through eyes still dripping with tears.

"Hi… I-I'm Yuki. Yuki Sohma. You must be Tohru-_chan_," he stuttered, stressing the feminine honorific.

At his words, her lower lip began trembling, and she buried her face in her fingers again, nearly shaking off the bench.

"Please! Leave me alone, please. You can pick on me tomorrow, but please leave me alone now. Please…" she choked out between muffled sniffles.

Startled he took a step back. Slowly his eyebrows lowered back to their normal positions as he took a deep breath and gathered the courage to disobey Akito. Surely Akito wouldn't blame him for comforting a crying girl, and besides, if he never told Akito, he'd never know. He warily took a seat beside her, and after a minute, he almost wished he hadn't. She didn't even seem to notice that he hadn't run off and just continued wailing. He couldn't blame her though, given his silence and how he instinctively sat several inches away from her. Yuki meant to come up with consoling words to say to her, but he found he didn't know any. No one had ever comforted him before. Then he decided that he didn't need words to make her feel better, but he couldn't hug her, so he sat limply until a ball bouncing off the asphalt pavement by their feet made her look up.

Grimacing, he scooted away, fearing that he'd make her cry again, but she only blinked and swiped at her tears.

"Aren't you going to make fun of me?" she asked in a whisper.

"N-No! Why would I do that?" he answered with another question.

"Because I have a boy's name! Everyone says so!" she whimpered.

"I don't think so. I-I think 'Tohru' is a nice name for a girl. Besides, everyone says 'Yuki' is a girly name," he admitted so quietly that he was surprised that she heard him.

"I think 'Yuki' is a nice name for a boy," Tohru told him in a gentle voice.

When he lifted his gaze from his folded hands, he found a smiling face before him. A little too close, he noticed too late. Tohru was sliding over towards him with her arms outstretched. He couldn't back away in time. She had him trapped in a warm hug that he would have enjoyed greatly had a cloud of smoke not consumed him. Shrinking into his rodent form, he bounced off her lap and onto the pavement with a nearly soundless thud. He took one quick glance at her large brown eyes and then scurried away, past the bushes and the gates. He didn't stop his paws from racing ahead, not knowing where he was headed until he bumped into Akito's leg in one of the Sohma gardens.

Unfortunately, that day ended in tears for both of them.

They both lost who they both had hoped to be a good friend.

Tohru kept the small pair of clothes Yuki had left on the bench. She washed them at home with her grandfather and brought them to school in her plastic backpack the next day in hopes to find him, but he never came to school again. All she had left of as proof of her first friend were a small sweater and black pants with an inhaler in one pocket. Worst of all, she had to go to a wake that night with her mother who wouldn't stop crying and didn't seem to hear anything Tohru told her about her new friend who turned into a mouse. Only grandpa nodded politely, but even he couldn't smile. She didn't know what a wake was, only that daddy slept in a small wooden bed with a wooden cover, and everyone cried, leaving flowers and repeatedly saying 'sorry.' Tohru couldn't even wear her new pink dress grandpa had got her. She had to wear black like everyone else.

After that, grandpa lived with them for a while, cooking for Tohru and tucking her into bed at night. She didn't get to see her mother a lot, but every time she did, her mother was crying and didn't notice her when she hugged her. Her mom didn't change out of that long black dress for a week, and Tohru felt alone. Her dad wasn't there. Her mom didn't notice her. And her first friend was gone.

Yuki found himself in a similar void of darkness and loneliness, though he still had both his parents. Only they didn't want him, so he had to stay with Akito, who always seemed to be mad at him, no matter what he did. Akito found out he had talked to a girl when he found him in his rat form and had thrown him in the special room Akito said he made just for him. They had just painted the walls and windows with many layers of black paint the day before, and it hadn't dried completely when Akito locked the door behind him that day, leaving Yuki in puddles of wet paint. Forlorn, Yuki didn't change out of his zodiac form for a day, not even when Hatori finally persuaded Akito to open the door long enough for him to bring Yuki a tray of food and question him about his female encounter, but Yuki lied. He had never lied before, but when Hatori asked him about the girl's name so he could erase her memories, Yuki lied and said he couldn't remember, but he would never forget her name.

_Tohru Honda. _ The girl who disdained her name as much as he loathed his own.

Yuki found himself thinking about that name every time he felt overcome with loneliness, and he felt that a lot after his parents transferred him to a private all boys school after Akito released him from the dark room a week later. Though his mother briefly visited him everyday to bring him to school, a part of him always suspected she only did this because she wanted the chauffer to drive her somewhere after, but he never questioned it. He always just sat there silently, staring out the window at his laughing cousins as they skipped to school together. He sunk back into his seat after his mother yelled at him to sit down for the third time, hoping if he behaved obediently enough that his parents would want him again, but Akito still had him ten years later.

When Shigure led him to his house in the middle of woods outside of the Sohma main house, Tohru still lingered in the back of his scarred mind. On his first day at Kaibara Public High School, however, he was too nervous to think about her and the possibility that she might be starting her first year there too until the bell rung and he nearly ran into a short girl with long brown hair as he tried to race into his classroom. He paused, gripping the door in his hands as he stared at her. She stared back. Neither moved until the teacher stepped outside with a binder in his arms and a stern expression across his face, adjusting his crescent shaped glasses.

"You must be Tohru Honda," he remarked gesturing to Yuki, and then turning to Tohru, "And you must be Yuki Sohma?"

They both shook their heads in denial before peering at each other in shock. That's why she looked so familiar. She was the little girl he had met over ten years ago, and here she was with ribbons replacing the barrettes and a warm smile instead of the tears. They didn't have time to reminisce as they needed a good whole minute to clarify the name situation with the teacher, but neither could stop talking during their lunch break, even Yuki, who had no idea how to hold a conversation, found himself enjoying the chattery girl who invited him to sit with her two friends- a Yankee and a Goth. It helped that she did most of the talking. He was relieved to find she had brushed off his transformation as her childish imagination, though she found out the truth soon enough anyways.

After sixteen years, Yuki Sohma smiled his first true smile that day.

And of course, it became the joke of the school to switch their names for their remaining years there.

After they graduated high school, they both attended the same college in Tokyo, a three hour drive from home to start anew, both more confident about their names. Having dated all through high school, they found themselves falling deeply in love, and Tohru had an engagement ring on her left ring finger before they graduated from the university.

The rest of college passed quickly after that. They both quickly busied themselves with work, trying to save money, planning a wedding, and looking at houses and apartments during their spare time together. It took a year, but they finally bought a small quaint house set in a quiet corner in a tiny town. Together, they sent out the invitations to their wedding, which Ayame soon took over after he received the notice, brushing Tohru aside when she tried to inform him of the cheap, plain, white dress she had planned on buying and the rest of the simple ceremony they had discussed.

Despite their protests, when they both stood at the altar, lavish decorations surrounded them. A large, full-blown western ceremony had overtaken their simple, traditional one. Expensive flowers that neither could remember the name of and silk ribbons clung to every surface in the expensive rented ballroom. A string quartet accompanied the organ player, and Tohru wobbled in her four-inch heels and heavy white dress. Seeing Tohru in that dress was perhaps the only reason Yuki hadn't lifted her up in his arms and bolted away from the priest standing before him to get eloped in a small courthouse. He had to admit that his brother had a knack for clothes. She looked more beautiful than ever in the silk gown. He was sure Ayame had overworked millions of silkworms to get enough silk for all the flounces in that dress and that it weighed thirty pounds with all the layers, the ten foot train, and thousands of tiny beads. Regardless, she looked beautiful. Beautiful, clutching those expensive flowers in a bouquet and with the flowery lace covering her face.

Mesmerized by the scene before him, he hardly heard a thing the priest said and only murmured 'I do' when prompted, though Tohru's quizzical arch of her eyebrow startled him back into reality. He could hardly panic about this and the muffled laughter from the audience before the priest turned to Tohru, and his next words clarified everything.

"Do you, Yuki Sohma, take Tohru Honda to be your lawfully wedded husband?" he asked Tohru.

"I am Yuki Sohma! She's Tohru Honda!" Yuki sputtered between coughs before Tohru could get a word in.

After a few embarrassed apologizes from the priest and loud guffaws from Shigure, they were wedded.

The rest of the ceremony went smoothly. Smoothly if one could ignore Shigure and Ayame's comments and jokes, frequently asking Tohru to take Yuki's garter off or Yuki to throw the bouquet. It was silent and peaceful, though, after Yuki locked his brother and cousin in the janitor's closet. Then they danced lovingly in each other's arms all night until Tohru grew tired. It was time to return to their new home and let Shigure and Ayame out.

When they returned from their two-week honeymoon to Okinawa, Tohru gushed over the first letters addressed to them as a married couple, even though they were mainly bills and advertisements. She finally let Yuki see them after a minute, but her smile quickly dimmed when he frowned at the envelopes. Then she noticed that all the letters were addressed to Mr. Tohru Sohma and Mrs. Yuki Sohma.

"Tomorrow, we will call them and have this straightened out," Yuki promised with a smile as he picked up their abandoned suitcases and headed to their bedroom to unpack.

A month later, half of their letters still came addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Tohru Honda, pregnancy soon distracted both of them, making them forget about silly letters and their own names as they fussed over a name for the baby and worked on creating a nursery in the guest room. The next nine months practically flew by as a blur of baby stores, streaks of light pink, and lots of laughter. The only name they worried about was their unborn baby's, and they struggled to find one that other children wouldn't tease her for, but when they were holding her and staring into her half-lidded gray eyes after a long twenty hours of labor, only one name came to mind, and Yuki hurried off to get her birth certificate made.

When Yuki showed the printed certificate to her, Tohru could only laugh with him. Under 'father,' they had printed Tohru's name, and under 'mother,' Yuki's. They had a good laugh over explaining that to the hospital and getting a new certificate, and a good many more laughs as they met confused teachers and doctors not sure who to address as who, and by the time Tohru was pregnant with their second child, they were thinking about new names for themselves and the new baby, but since the second birth certificate listed their names correctly, they decided they liked their own names enough. They learned to introduce themselves quickly to anyone new and always carefully listed their names on forms, though sometimes people confused their names anyways.

They learned to laugh through it. After all, they were in this together.

As a tiny piece of comfort, if their names were ever switched on their graves, at least one of them would be spared knowledge of it.

**I don't own Shakespeare or Fruits Basket (Is this the first disclaimer in this story?). Thank you for reading. Please correct my mistakes and tell me you thoughts c: **


	21. Paparazzi

Title: Paparazzi

Summary: Harrowed by merciless people stalking them with cameras and microphones, Yuki decides to take advantage of this to make a question he's been meaning to ask Tohru a little easier.

Genre: Romance

Rating: K+

Word Count: 1,355

On their usual Sunday routine, Yuki and Tohru strolled through a narrow aisle lined with dried noodles, rice, and various seasonings, scanning the dried goods for items to add to their already full shopping cart, or at least Tohru was selecting items. Yuki's silver eyes focused on peering through gray-tinted lenses and under the rim of his navy cap at the brunette girl beside him pushing the shopping cart. He was dressed like this, not because of his reputation as the "Prince" of his high school, but because, now nearing the age of twenty five, he had garnered fame as a member of a trio band that included him, Kyo, and Haru, that Shigure had somehow persuaded Akito into endorsing, and that said dog had somehow tricked the three into forming four years ago on a rainy, early morning.

If he spoke honestly, he'd have to admit that most of their fans probably did not stalk them, in reality or cyber-wise, because of their musical talent- he still wasn't quite sure which was the C-string though he had mastered how to hold a guitar so he looked like he knew how to play to all except for the professionals.

When he finally glanced inside a magazine featuring their band for the first time, he quickly understood how they had accumulated an exponentially expanding fan base so rapidly with only one of their members, Haru, having any musical experience beforehand. Those heavily airbrushed photographs of them, posed in whatever nonsensical scenes Shigure concocted, did succeed in exaggerating what Shigure called "their natural beauty," though Yuki himself struggled with understanding what these girls found attractive with his features, which he had cursed as feminine all his life. Luckily, age had sharpened his features enough that people no longer mistook him for a female.

Despite the disparity between the media's image of him and his own natural appearance, people still recognized him, especially in big public places like this supermarket, but he didn't want to corrupt Tohru's life with the complexities of his, and rather than spend a few hours apart from her, he just tried to cover his face and dress in the baggiest clothes he could find.

Tohru was dressed in a similar manner with her hair swept into a messy bun under a pink sunhat and matching sunglasses because ever since Yuki officially asked her out three and a half years ago, the media had been following her, and his female fans had been harassing her, not too dissimilar to their high school situation, though he was surprised that they could keep hating her when she welcomed them into the apartment she shared with Yuki, always offering them warm cookies or another snack when they came with death threats and cameras that didn't seem able to stop flashing. With gullibility as one of her main attributes, she tended to answer more of their questions than she should, but that didn't help make any of the news about them anymore truthful.

Those magazine writers had a creativity level on par with Shigure's. They never ceased to entertain him with whatever scandalous stories they had made up for some trivial picture that he always doubted was really of him and Tohru or whether they could really still claim those photographs as being of him and Tohru after all their manipulations, but he had to admit they were all quite talented at editing photographs. This had lead to his and Tohru's little hobby of browsing through the magazines in supermarkets while they waited in line to pay for their groceries, and they ended up before a magazine rack filled with magazines covered with their faces after an hour and a half of shopping this Sunday.

Pointing towards the first magazine on the left and forgetting that they were currently in a public place, Tohru exclaimed to Yuki, "Look! Yuki-kun! They're claiming we've broken up again!"

"Why do they think that this time?" Yuki asked her after checking that no one other than an elderly woman in line before them and a middle-aged man were near enough to hear them.

"Well, this one says you cheated on me," Tohru responded rather matter-of-factly without looking up from flipping through the pages of the magazine.

"I didn't. I swear," he quickly assured her, trying to peek around the pages of the magazine at her face for any signs of distress.

"I know. Besides, this one says you abandoned me after I told you I'm pregnant," Tohru responded with a smile after gesturing towards another magazine.

"Are you?"

"Yuki-kun!" she playfully cried as she slapped him gently on the shoulder.

He just smiled secretively as he browsed through another article describing a vacation they hadn't taken to Australia. He tried to keep his face lowered so she couldn't tell his eyes were actually focused on her rather than the article he just carelessly past, but he had to lift the magazine higher to cover all but his eyes when he noticed her reaching for the center magazine in the top row. He couldn't keep his lips from curling into a smile when she began studying the bold font and enlarged photos with a growing grin spreading across her face. She had barely flipped through the first few pages before she excitedly spun towards Yuki and tugged on his sleeve for his attention with such vigor that he dropped the magazine he was pretending to read, but she hardly noticed.

"Oh! Yuki-kun! Look at this one! It says we're getting married! Look they even have a picture of you on your knees! How do you think they made that picture? It looks so real! And the ring! It's so beautiful, Yuki-kun. I thought they would have picked a flashier one. If we get married, promise me you'll get one just like this one!" she rambled, opening the magazine to show him and pointing at each picture.

Leaning towards her, he pretended to scrutinize the photographs carefully as he slid his free hand into his pocket and wrapped his fingers around a small velvet box. He nodded thoughtfully to her jubilant crooning about the article as he tried to soothe the erratic beats of his heart. Feeling his sweaty palms begin to dampen the velvet coating of the small box, he took a deep breath, gathered his courage, and grasped her left hand, interrupting her babbling and making her glance up at him with her mouth half open and her eyes still glimmering with joy. Intertwining their fingers with one hand, he used his other to lift the little box from his pocket and into her eyesight, which immediately made her lift her sunglasses off her face and her jaw lower in surprise.

Opening it, he showed her the ring cushioned inside, whispering, "You mean like this one?"

"Oh, Yuki-kun!" Tohru gasped.

Her hand slid out of his to join her other covering her mouth as her eyes widened. Her eyebrows couldn't climb any higher on her forehead as Yuki dropped down on one knee and pulled out the ring from the box. She saw his mouth moving, so she knew he must be speaking, though she couldn't force her brain to comprehend his words at the moment. She was sure whatever he was saying was as sweet as everything else he had ever done for her, so after her tears blurred her vision until she couldn't quite make out the details of his face anymore, she could only find herself nodding with the widest smile until she felt something cold slid onto her finger and his arms pull her into a warm embrace. She didn't know whether she was crying or laughing with joy, but she didn't care. She didn't even care that she could only see blinding flashes and could only hear the clicks of cameras and gossiping whispers. She could only notice the two arms wrapped around her and the band wrapped around her finger.

Perhaps this was one scene they'd let the paparazzi plaster all over magazines and the internet, though neither could guarantee that they'd be describing a proposal.

**Just a simple story that took me forever to edit because I am lazy but hopefully two more oneshots before New Years? Please correct my mistakes and tell me what you think. **


	22. Ring

Title: Ring

Summary: Five years after losing Tohru to Kyo, Yuki finds himself at Tohru's doorstep, and is forced to confront the consequences and come to a final decision.

Genre: Romance/Angst/Hurt/Comfort

Rating: T

Word Count: 6,223

Yuki sighed as he emptied the blackened contents of the tin pan into the trash, adding the tenth burnt attempt at a cake to the pile. He had spent the past four hours trying to make something that resembled a cake to no avail. Frustrated, he tossed the pan, which was also burnt black, into the sink and kicked the oven as he turned it off, cursing his inability to cook. He scraped the mess of lumpy dough and clumpy flour off the counter into the garbage and tossed the bowl with a hardened pink substance that was supposed to be strawberry frosting on top of the ruined cakes, bowl and all, not bothering to even attempt to separate the ceramic bowl from the now stone frosting that tasted more like raw salmon than strawberries. He tore off his apron stained with flour, burn marks, and pink frosting and added that to the trash as well.

With a frown, he opened the refrigerator crammed with leftover takeout containers and peered thankfully at the neat box containing the light pink cake covered with strawberries and icing that spelled out _Happy Birthday, Honda-san_. Taking it out and gently setting the box on the counter, he finally allowed himself a small smile, grateful that he had decided to go to a bakery yesterday in case he failed at baking a cake, which he suspected he would anyways. He glanced to the table where a white box with a poorly tied pink ribbon sat next to a large bouquet of daffodils and azaleas similarly wrapped with a crooked bow. Pulling out a chair, he dropped down into it and buried his face into his hands as he shook his head in disbelief.

"Yuki, are you trying to cook again? I think you're going to set off the fire alarm. I'll open a window!" Yuki heard his girlfriend call as she walked down the stairs.

"Sorry," he muttered without even looking up when he heard the footsteps in the kitchen.

"Oh!" she gasped, "You picked these from your garden for me? That's so-"

"No! Those are for Honda-san!" he exclaimed in an unintentionally sharp voice as he whipped his head up and snatched the bouquet from her outstretched fingers.

Machi just raised an eyebrow as she forced a smile across her face. Folding her arms across her chest, she looked at him expectantly while Yuki lowered his eyes, unable to meet the gaze of the woman who should have meant everything to him. He was well aware that Machi hated it when he spoke of Tohru, let alone spend so much effort on Tohru's birthday. He surmised she loathed Tohru out of jealousy; no one could detest such a kindhearted girl otherwise, but it was his fault really. He suspected Machi knew of the feelings he was reluctant to admit himself, and as soon as such thoughts began creeping into his head, he banished them, and turned his focus back to his surroundings. Noticing how he clutched the bouquet away from her in a tight grip that crushed the already wrinkled bow, Yuki let out his fiftieth sigh of the morning and set the flowers on top of the present he got for Tohru.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have yelled at you. Don't misunderstand. Today's Honda-san's birthday," Yuki told her gently.

"Is she coming back to celebrate then?"

"No… I was thinking of going over and visiting her for a little bit to drop off her gifts. Don't worry. I won't stay long. She probably has plans with Kyo for most of the day anyways," Yuki mumbled.

"She lives three hours away. Not long is at least all day, Yuki."

Yuki didn't say anything.

"Fine. Whatever. Go. I'll have dinner ready when you get back," she muttered while rolling her eyes as she reached for the basket of vegetables.

"Actually, those are for Honda-san too…" Yuki confessed, grabbing the basket and setting it closer to the other presents.

"So you got her flowers, vegetables, a cake. What else did you get her? What's in the box?" Machi asked, gesturing to the last item on the table.

"They're boots. I know they don't seem like the best gift, but Honda-san has always preferred practical gifts, and last time I saw her, her boots looked a little worn out," he replied.

"When's the last time you saw her?"

"A few months ago at her and Kyo's anniversary party. Why do you ask?" Yuki replied nonchalantly, pretending not to notice the jealous expression she wore.

"Don't you think she replaced them by now?"

"No, Honda-san hates wasting money on herself, and Kyo's too stupid to notice. You know, Honda-san has had those boots since we lived together, and that was five years ago. When she first moved in, her shoes had a couple of holes in them already, and yet I had to hide one so she thought she lost it before she would buy a new pair for herself. It's silly really," he explained with a smile.

Turning away from him, she grabbed her jacket and stalked towards the door, hardly seeming to process what he told her.

"I'm leaving first then. Have fun with Honda-san."

She didn't even spare him a glance over her shoulder as she practically stomped out of the room, but even without seeing her face, Yuki could imagine perfectly the deep set frown across her otherwise stoic face. Yuki groaned, smacking his head against the table and lied there until he heard her car engine start. Then he stood and watched Machi drive away from the kitchen window before he gathered everything on the table. Somehow, he exited the house and locked the door with everything. He then climbed into his car after making sure Machi's black car was nowhere in sight. He knew Machi was probably cursing him and Tohru now. He sighed again as he backed out of the driveway and started down the road to Tohru's house, trying not to think of anything but Tohru's smile the rest of the way.

He pulled into her driveway at noon, and sat in his car for a few minutes, debating whether he should actually disturb her on her birthday or not. There was still time to drive away before she noticed him. She was probably too distracted to be peering out her window checking for him, especially since he didn't even tell her he was coming to surprise her. Actually, she might not even be home. Her and Kyo's red car wasn't in the driveway today. Then he could just leave everything on her porch and hope she received them, though that meant he'd have to pass more months without seeing her. Still unsure of which he preferred, he finally stepped out of his car and collected everything from the backseat. After he had slowly inched across the stone path that led to her front door, he paused, and then stepped up onto the tan colored welcome mat. Just as he decided to just leave his gifts and flee, he impulsively rang the doorbell, and her voice and hurried footsteps froze him before he could retreat. All he could do was stand there with his mouth half open, two boxes in his right hand, a bouquet in his left, and a basket hanging off his arm as the door swung open, and Tohru's smiling face came into view.

"Yuki-kun! What are you doing here?" Tohru greeted him cheerfully.

"I was just passing by on my way to Shigure's house, so I decided to drop by to say 'happy birthday.' Happy Birthday, Honda-san," he told her with a smile, holding out the packages for her.

"Shigure's house is across town!" Tohru exclaimed.

Yuki just smiled and motioned with the gifts again. As she took the four gifts hesitantly, drawing them into her arms, he noticed her attire. His eyes slowly ran across the strawberry printed flannel bottoms she had on to her disheveled ponytail that hung limply across her left shoulder. His eyes rolled up and down as he scanned over her outfit five more times, his disdain growing and his smile faltering each time. Luckily, she seemed too overwhelmed with all the packages in her arms to notice his scrutiny of her or to even be embarrassed about her appearance.

"Thank you, Yuki-kun, but this is too much!" she proclaimed.

Ignoring her cries, he queried, "Why are you still in your pajamas?"

"I… I… umm…"

"Oh. I understand. Kyo didn't plan to take you out until dinner time, right?" he guessed.

"Actually… Kyo-kun left to train yesterday and told me he'd be back tomorrow," she confessed in a dejected voice.

Yuki's left eyebrow twitched in anger as he tried to suppress his fury. With her head lowered, Tohru couldn't see the ire radiating from him, and he couldn't tell from the top of her head whether she was more humiliated or disappointed by this revelation, but he suspected it was the latter, so he took a deep breath and raised her eyes up with two fingers under her chin. Her large blue eyes blinked quizzically as she peered up at him. Whatever negative emotion that previously swirled in those orbs quickly diffused, and once more, he could actually smile.

"Come on, Honda-san. Get dressed. I'll take you out today."

"Oh no! I couldn't possibly impose! You must have a lot to do! I can't waste your time! Please don't worry about me! You already got me gifts!" Tohru protested vehemently.

"Honda-san, get dressed, please," he repeated, "I'm waiting."

Glancing over her shoulder then back at Yuki, she seemed to hesitate, debating to herself about whether she should go with Yuki to celebrate or continue waiting at home in hopes that Kyo would return early. Yuki made the decision for her, taking the packages out of her hands and setting them on the end table beside the door before he took her by the shoulders, turned her around, and gave her a gentle shove towards the stairs. She peeked back at him for a second only once before she scurried down the hall and up the stairs, unable to keep a small smile from spreading across her face. She was dressed under five minutes and was brushing her hair before she could wonder why she was in such a rush or whether she should even be this happy, but she couldn't stop her feet from skipping down the stairs or her arm from taking his or even her lips from grinning as he helped her into the passenger seat.

"Where would you like to go, Honda-san?" Yuki inquired with a smile as soon as they were settled in the car.

"I-umm- Anywhere would be fine, Yuki-kun!" Tohru chirped.

"Honda-san, it's your birthday. There must be something you would like to do," he pressed gently.

"Well… I guess I haven't seen Uo-chan and Hana-chan in a while, but they live so far away," Tohru mused.

Without a word, Yuki slid the key in place and started the engine, making Tohru lurch forward in her seat, clutching to her seatbelt as she glanced at him with huge eyes.

"W-wait, Yuki-kun! Uo-chan and Hana-chan live two hours away! And Uo-chan and Kureno-san just had a baby! We can't just show up unexpectedly!" Tohru argued.

"Don't worry, Honda-san. They'll be really happy to see you," Yuki assured her as he started to reverse out of her driveway.

"B-But wait! If we're going, let me grab something first!"

He hadn't even completely stopped before she ripped off her seatbelt and hopped out of the car, making a dash back inside her house. Watching her sprint away, Yuki wondered whether she was even planning on coming back, but before he could unbuckle his own seatbelt, he saw her stumble back out, trying not to bump into anything with the large cake box he had brought for her in her arms. Smiling to himself, he quickly slid out of the car and opened the door to the backseat. When she reached him, he took the box from her to lay on one of the seats.

"Thank you for the cake, Yuki-kun, but I'm afraid if I don't share this with Uo-chan and Hana-chan, I'll never finish it by myself!" Tohru explained.

"We'll have a little party for you. How's that?" Yuki suggested.

She nodded so eagerly without any signs of protests that Yuki had to wonder how Tohru had celebrated her birthday since she moved out of Shigure's with Kyo. Watching her grin and hum to herself and swing her legs back and forth on the seat beside him once they had climbed back into the car, Yuki decided to make this the best birthday she ever had, so he stepped on the accelerator, trying not to waste any more time in the car than he had to. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her fingers wrap around the arm rest as she gazed out the window at the blurring landscape with wide eyes. She dared to sneak a peek at what number the quivering needle of the speedometer pointed at before glancing at Yuki quizzically.

"Yuki-kun, you're going thirty miles over the speed limit," she informed him softly.

"Let's see if we can get to Uotani-san's house half an hour earlier," Yuki responded with a smirk.

"Don't worry, Yuki-kun. I don't mind the car ride. I wouldn't want you to get in trouble for speeding."

He nodded and let the needle drop down a number when Tohru's hand grasped his arm, making him loosen his tight grip around the wheel. Seeing him relax, Tohru made a small comment about Uo and Hana, which turned into an one hour long rambling spiel about how they met, their childhood memories, and how much she missed them, which ended with her falling asleep with her head bobbing on and off his shoulder with every bump in the road. Usually, Yuki would have relished the opportunity to listen to Tohru chatter. It was one of her attributes that he appreciated most, but today, he could only hear desperation in her voice. Desperation to be heard as if she had had no one to talk to in months though he had always believed Kyo was there, and he never hated Kyo more than he did now. He had let Kyo take the most important treasure in his life, believing Kyo could care for her more than he could, could please her more, but here she was, sleeping with dried tear trails across her face, not even crying over how her boyfriend of six years wasn't here on her birthday but over how she hadn't seen her best friends in months because Kyo couldn't bother to drive her down there.

Yuki shook his head with irritation as he pulled into Uo's driveway. If Tohru was his girlfriend, they'd come here every weekend if she wanted to. She'd always have someone to talk to. He'd never willingly leave her side for an unnecessary second. He'd definitely never forget her birthday, especially since she never tried to bring attention to herself, regardless of however much she deserved it. Even at her own anniversary party, she played the cook, host, and waitress. While he cursed Kyo for neglecting her, he had to curse himself for even thinking of Tohru in that way when he had Machi, whom he himself neglected for Tohru.

He allowed himself one last wistful gaze at the woman slumbering peacefully on his shoulder, one last fantasy before he lightly shook her shoulder, ending the dream that, for once, she belonged to him. She awoke after a couple startled blinks and smiled at him, completely unaware of the chaos she just stirred in his mind. She hopped out of the car with delight and ecstatically rushed off to the door. Yuki found hints of a smile across his own face as he grabbed the cake from the back of his car and jogged after her. He found her frozen in the doorway, squished in the tight embrace of Uo and Hana, so he awkwardly lingered in front of the steps, shifting his weight from one foot to the other and the cake from one hand to the other for what felt like an hour until Uo and Hana finally opened their eyes and noticed him, giving him a strange look.

Turning to Tohru, Uo asked, "Where's Orange top?"

Tohru's smile faltered before she forced it back and laughed, "He's with Kazuma-san training!"

"On your birthday?" Uo asked, raising her eyebrows.

Tohru lowered her head, avoiding their eyes as if she offended them. Yuki opened his mouth to break the silence in attempt to keep tears from spilling from her eyes again, but the look in Hana's eyes kept him back.

"I see… It looks like I'll have to reject Kazuma's proposal again," Hana commented in her monotone voice.

"Pro-Proposal?" Tohru squeaked while Uo gawked, then added, "Again?"

"Yes. The first time I was too young to settle down, and the second was the time Kyo yelled at you, and now here Kyo is ditching you on your birthday. I can't possibly accept a proposal from a man who raises such a son, can I?" Hana reasoned with them.

"N-No!" Tohru protested, "Don't turn him down for me… I-I'm happy for you guys!"

She gave Hana a quick hug and swiped at her eyes in hopes that no one noticed, but they were all staring at her when she glanced around. This was the life none of them expected. Tohru should have been the one married with kids or at least the one getting engaged, not her two friends who had denied any interest in marriage their whole lives while she dreamed of a family of her own since she was six. Yuki couldn't bring himself to face her forced smile, especially since he knew, deep inside, that he was secretly pleased that she was neither a wife nor a mother yet, and he hated himself for it. Hated himself for hoping against what he knew would bring her the most happiness.

"What? Guys, it's my birthday! And Yuki-kun got me a cake! Let's go eat!" Tohru exclaimed with false cheeriness, interrupting all of their gloomy thoughts.

She stepped past them through the door, but they all lingered outside. Tohru cringed at the silence behind her but forced each foot forward, leaving the three behind.

"Are you all going to stand outside all day? Come on! I want to see Uo-chan's baby!" Tohru called after them.

Uo's eyes lingered on Yuki's face for a brief moment before she chased after Tohru, and Hana eyed him for a minute longer before creeping after them with her eerily soundless footsteps. Yuki hesitated a moment outside, unsure of whether he should step through the threshold or hide in the car until Tohru finished visiting, but he looked down and remembered the cake he held. Taking a deep breath, he stepped up onto the porch and then through the door. Though he had only been inside this house once after Uo and Kureno had wed, he found the kitchen easily enough, where Tohru was waiting with a knife and plates. After setting the cake on the counter, he took a step back, letting the three friends chatter. Tohru lifted the knife to cut the strawberry covered cake, but before the blade could touch the pink icing, Uo suddenly grabbed her wrist.

"Wait! You should make your wish!" Uo interjected.

"M-My wish?" Tohru stuttered.

Hana nodded, plucking twenty five candles and a lighter out from seemingly nowhere. The candles were quickly lighted and soon the three were singing happily to a blushing Tohru who covered her cheeks with both her hands, but she obediently blew out all the candles when prompted. Then she quickly began slicing the large rectangular cake and handing out plates with huge chunks of cake, eager to leave the spotlight and return to the sidelines. Yuki took his dish clumsily, and Uo soon ushered him and Tohru onto the loveseat in the living room. Hana seated herself on an armchair while Uo retreated upstairs to get her son.

It took less than five minutes of eating cake, fawning over a sleepy baby, and reminiscing with her best friends to bring back Tohru's characteristic grin, and another five before Yuki heard her laugh ring out. Though neither Uo nor Hana made any effort to include him in their conversations, Yuki was content to just sit there, silently munching on the birthday cake and watching Tohru's face light up every few minutes. He knew Tohru was trying to make him feel welcome, turning to him every few seconds to get his opinion or just to simply smile at him, so though he did feel out of place in Uo's living room, especially with her giving him suspicious glares when Tohru turned the other way and Hana staring at him, he just plastered on a smile and sat there patiently for the next three hours. Then a cry from the blue bundle in Uo's arms jarred Tohru from her rambling chatter and made Tohru jump with a start as she realized how late it was.

"Oh no! I wasted your whole afternoon! I am sure you both had a lot planned and couldn't do because I kept talking! And Yuki-kun! I made you stay all day! I am so sorry-" Tohru squealed apologetically.

"Tohru," Uo interrupted her, lifting her hand up, "We loved seeing you today. We haven't seen you in so long. Today was the best day we've had in a while. Right, Hana?"

"Yes, Tohru-kun. We have missed you greatly. You must make your _boyfriend_ bring you to visit us more often next time," Hana added.

"Oh Hana-chan! Please don't be made at Kyo-kun! He's just busy!" Tohru defended him.

Hana didn't seem content with Tohru's reasoning, but Uo spoke up before she could comment.

"But really, we have to thank you, prince, for bringing our dear Tohru to visit," Uo said, turning to Yuki with a smile for the first time that night.

Yuki smiled a little embarrassedly, muttering something about being happy to do so that none of them really caught as they were too busy exchanging farewell hugs with teary eyes. He stood awkwardly once more, half way between the kitchen and living room, and inched towards the door. He had passed the doorway into the kitchen by the time Uo and Hana finally released Tohru. She seemed to hesitate momentarily, glancing at her two best friends and the small infant laying on the couch, before offering a final wave and walking over to Yuki while her two friends gave Yuki appreciative smiles, though such was only visible on one of them. He waved halfheartedly in return and then lead Tohru out the door and back into his car, opening the door for her before he slid in himself.

"Oh, Yuki-kun! Thank you so much for bringing me to see Uo-chan and Hana-chan! This was the best birthday! Thank you! Thank you!" Tohru cried as she slipped on her seatbelt.

"It's only five, Honda-san. Your birthday's not over for seven hours. Let's go eat dinner," Yuki suggested as he started the car.

"N-No, Yuki-kun! I couldn't possibly impose! You've already done so much for me! Don't worry about me! This was a wonderful birthday! You couldn't do more for me! Besides, you must want to get back to Machi-chan!" Tohru tried to reason with him.

"I'd really love to have dinner with you, but if you'd rather not spend more time with me, I understand…" Yuki trailed off in a dejected voice.

"No-No!" Tohru cried, "I love spending time with you, Yuki-kun!"

"Good because I happen to be driving towards your favorite restaurant anyways."

Looking at his smirk, Tohru realized she had fallen for his trick. She grimaced but decided not to argue, realizing how hungry she was and that she was having a better time than she thought she would, considering how her boyfriend had abandoned her on her birthday. She turned to Yuki and flashed him a grin, hoping he somehow understood the extent of her appreciation for his taking the time to celebrate her birthday with her. He beamed back at her, though that soon faded.

"But…" Yuki started, "the restaurant is a little fancy, and what you're wearing…"

He trailed off again, eyeing her floral skirt and v-neck shirt, and Tohru flushed self-consciously, so an hour later, Tohru found herself in a floor-length maroon dress seated at a two person round table covered with a cream table cloth. A trio of long candles, a vase encasing a red rose, and the slender menu Tohru held up before her face were all that separated her from the suit-clad Yuki. She sucked in a deep breath before lowering her menu to look at Yuki, who sat there, nonchalantly skimming the menu laid in front of him.

"Yuki-kun, don't you think this is a bit too much?" Tohru whispered, glancing around the room shyly.

"No, of course not. You look beautiful," he smiled at her.

Tohru flushed again, raising the menu back up to hide again, though that was soon taken away as the waitress returned to set down two glasses of wine and take their orders. She gripped the glass cup tentatively in her hands before her face, hoping the redness of the wine would offset the blush on her cheeks, but judging from the grin across Yuki's face, she doubted it helped much. Before setting the glass back down hopelessly, she took a large sip but wound up sputtering through coughs, nearly choking. After the alarm faded from his eyes, mirth quickly took over, and they both broke out in laughter, breaking the uncomfortable atmosphere, so the rest of the dinner felt as if they had never even left high school. It felt just like those days, sitting at the table in Shigure's house, back when they all lived together, back when he and Kyo bickered all the time, back when Tohru still had a crush on him.

An hour after they left the restaurant, Tohru found herself wandering around the dark forest near Shigure's house with Yuki and her fingers entwined with his. She couldn't quite recall whether she had grabbed his hand first or if he had reached for hers and she didn't think she should be holding hands with someone she had had a crush on early on in high school while she was currently dating his rival, but every time she thought about letting go, her grasp only tightened around his fingers. Her fingers tightened once more in excitement when they began treading through a more familiar path and a small patch of vegetable sprouts gradually appeared.

"Look! There are still vegetables growing, Yuki-kun!" she exclaimed, pointing with her other hand at the small garden.

He smiled and explained, "I came back here during break to plant new things. I couldn't possibly let something we created together die so easily, now could I?"

Tohru flushed, and she felt his fingers tighten their grip around hers. She turned away embarrassedly, but she felt him tug her nearer and actually took two steps towards him herself as he grabbed her other hand. She gazed into his intense eyes, and something inside of her told her she should slip out of his hold and walk away, but she couldn't. She didn't want to. Her cheeks darkened as his face drew nearer to hers, and her eyes shut as she tilted her face upwards towards his for some reason unbeknownst to her. She could feel his breath brushing against her skin, the warmth radiating off of him, and practically the beat of his heart, or perhaps that was the incessant pounding of her own.

Then the phone rang.

Startled, she jumped away, breaking her hands out of his. She quickly began fishing through her purse for her phone. She felt the heat creeping across her cheeks as she hurriedly shoved her hair out of her face and flipped her phone open, lifting it to her ear. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Yuki turn away before she could read any expression across his face. He took a few steps away from her with his hands shoved in his pockets, and she couldn't tell whether he did so out of anger or to give her privacy before the gruff voice from the phone called for her attention, but her scattered brain could hardly process what was being said, but she quickly realized who was speaking.

"K-Kyo-kun!" she cried.

"Where are you? I'm hungry. I thought we were gonna eat dinner together?" he repeated.

"You wanted to eat dinner together?" she chirped happily and a little ashamedly.

"Yeah. Don't you always cook for us?"

And her heart shattered again.

The joy quickly seeped out of her voice and she could barely muster up her voice again to respond, "Y-yes… I'll come home right away. Sorry…"

But before she could say more, Yuki slid the phone out of her hand and snapped, "Stupid cat, Honda-san will not be coming home soon. It's her birthday, and she's going to continue celebrating with me."

And with that, he hung up before anything other than shock sunk in both Kyo and Tohru. Her wide eyes blinked at him in shock, oscillating between his stoic face and her pink phone that he held out for her to take back in his open palm. A shaky arm she barely recognized as her own took the pink electronic from his hand. Then he took her hand again and started leading her out of the forest. It took her two more minutes to fully process all that had transpired, but once she did, she yanked her hand out of his, and the moment was broken. She froze in her tracks, and he stopped half a step after her. She thought she heard a sigh before he turned around to face her with his bangs in front of his eyes hiding any ounce of emotion from her.

"Yuki-kun, I have to go home," she stated simply.

He only nodded, unable to speak lest she hear the utter devastation in his voice. With his head lowered, he started back for his car with her trailing two steps behind him. No longer walking side by side, their arms hung awkwardly at their sides. Yuki gripped his hands into fists, making them glaringly white in the moonlight while Tohru decided to wrap her fingers around her purse strap and twist in with frustration, shame, and though she didn't want to admit it, disappointment. They continued like this for the fifteen minutes it took them to reach his car, and this time, she stepped into his car herself, and he didn't even look her way as he started the car and drove back down the road that would take them to her house.

For the whole three hour ride, neither spoke. Tohru tried to several times, but every time she tried, she had to clasp both her hands over her mouth to stifle the cries that'd suddenly snatch her voice away in a weak attempt to keep him from hearing. He heard though and saw all the tears that trailed down her cheeks that reflected the lights radiating from the moon and car headlights. He wanted to swipe the tears from her face, say something soothing to her, pull over the car to give her an embrace she probably didn't even want, but he couldn't unclench his fingers from the steering wheel or his teeth, and his foot wouldn't lift off the accelerator pedal despite his heart's protests and his screaming desire to keep her in his presence and away from _him _for as long as possible.

This continued for two and a half more hours. Tohru silently sobbed and Yuki silently cursed himself and the tears that gathered behind his eyes and blurred his vision.

As soon as he pulled into her driveway, she ripped off her seatbelt and bolted from his car, a fleeting 'thank you' in a voice raspy from weeping all that was left as he watched her purse bounce after her as her legs propelled her towards her front door. He should have left as soon as she found her keys and wrestled her way into the house, but he found himself frozen. He watched as Kyo raced to the door to greet her with what looked like a box of strawberries he had just bought and had crudely wrapped in newspaper a few minutes before in his hands. He watched her graciously accept the package with twice the jubilance than she had displayed when accepting his. He watched her toss her arms around his neck, and his headlights illuminated the kiss they shared.

Neither seemed to notice or even care that he was still there. His heart cracked again and again each second that ticked by, painfully slowly. He felt as if all his energy had seeped out. His mouth hung weakly open, a small gap, and he couldn't feel the rest of his numb body, but he could see that his fingers still held the steering wheel, though the grip loose was now. Only by looking at his hands did he realize he was shaking. His whole body trembled, and a loud choking sound, a mix of a hopeless scream and a sob, escaped before he realized he was crying. He could hardly see anymore, but he noticed when the light faded from her doorstep, so he knew that they were no longer there.

He cursed to himself as he slammed his fist against his dashboard three times and angrily swiped at the tears pouring out of his eyes. He smashed the dashboard once more before he finally pulled out of her driveway and speed away from her, but he could only make it half a block before he had to pull over, stopping in the middle of the darkened road. He just sat in his care, shutting off his engine and letting the darkness shroud him as he stared blankly forward for a minute. Then he shut his eyes and laid his head on his steering wheel, thinking about today, thinking about her, thinking about the past and letting a mixture of happiness, grief, and loss overwhelm him as he let himself remember the happiest days of his life until the shattering end of today.

He thought about love and soul mates and cursed the fact that she wasn't his.

He knew their relationship would always be one that only existed in _almost's _and _what could have been_'s.

Yuki Sohma stood, a tree, rooted too deeply to a woman who kept weaving in and out of his reach, always a breath away from his fingertips. He stood tall and proud, aloof and five feet away from the rest of the forest, with long, sharp branches, though long since empty of any lively, green leaves, that soared above and looked over the whole earth. He stood, protected from gentle caresses by rough bark that sometimes caught someone's clothes with a lonely splinter. Tohru happened to be one of those people he caught, and the only to see through the nuisance and hear his lonesome cries, the only to disregard the scratches she received from his protective layering, the only to wrap her arms around his trunk, regardless of his continued act of contentment. Despite her cares, no girl ever fell for a cold, unmoving _thing _without any apparent emotions. In spite of his solid structure that seemed capable of deflecting any attack, he knew he'd never win the race in the end, immobile as he stood. Even if the race was upwards towards the heavens. In the end he'd lose and fall victim to racing flames or tumultuous lightning, incapable of stepping aside, but until then, he'd settle for pretending to care for the stray creatures that needed to settle on his branches before scurrying away and continuing to pretend as if he didn't yearn for the girl who flew away.

Well, he had to go home too and propose.

He pulled out the ring from his pocket and stared at it intently, twisting and turning it in his fingers. He had bought the ring already, anyways, for Machi. Or at least that's who he convinced himself he had bought it for. He chuckled once to himself before shutting the velvet box and tossing it back into his pocket. He wiped his eyes with his sleeve again before starting his car once more and started back home.

Numbness quickly replaced the hurt.

He felt nothing now.

He wasn't sure which was worse.

A year later, he'd see her, wearing those boots and a glaring engagement ring on her finger, at his wedding reception, while he drank, and drank, and drank, until everything became a blur. Until his life without her became a numb blur.

Whoever claimed that one's happiness depends solely on the happiness of one's beloved, regardless of whomever said beloved belonged to, lied. But it's okay. He could always pretend. Just as he's always done.

**Less angsty than I imagined D: But oh well. c: Please correct my mistakes and tell me what you think of my first unhappily ever after! **


	23. Find Your Zodiac Love

Title: "Find Your Zodiac Love"

Summary: Shigure and Ayame and Uo and Hana set up profiles for Yuki and Tohru on a dating website without telling them. AU

Genre: Romance

Rating: K+/T

Word Count: 4,987

A new website had recently launched, specifically, a dating website called "Find Your Zodiac Love." Shigure Sohma, a middle aged but devilishly handsome man, or at least he liked to refer to himself as such, found himself perusing this site with a happy grin, typing up a profile with his best friend, the man with long silver hair seated on a stool beside him, but this profile was for neither of them. Of course _he _wouldn't need to use such a site to find a woman with his charming personality and wondrous looks. Besides, he was happily married already. It was for his younger cousin and his best friend's little brother.

Yuki Sohma had recently turned twenty five, too old to never have had a girlfriend before, or at least the two men decided so. Though Yuki was rather quite handsome, being related to his absurdly attractive best friend Ayame, he was rather antisocial and awkward around other people. Not to mention unnecessarily violent, though perhaps he was partially to blame for that since he did go out of his way to provoke the younger man. Anyways, Yuki had finished school and was now quite a successful manager of a large family company. He lived in a large apartment alone and either starved or lived off of instant food since all he seemed capable of doing in the kitchen was turning everything into charcoal. Hence, Shigure and Ayame decided to help the hopeless male find a much needed wife by setting up a profile for him on this new site.

They sat happily before the computer monitor for hours before they finally hit submit after putting up a picture of a half naked Yuki that they had taken after he had fallen asleep after showering. That was another quirk of Yuki's- it took him at least an hour to fully awaken in the morning. Before that, he was a walking zombie that destroyed everything in his path and that periodically fell asleep everywhere.

Half an hour later, they called Yuki over, surprised at how quickly this site had paired him up with a woman and how quickly she had responded to their offer to take her out to dinner tomorrow.

Meanwhile…

Two women in their twenties sat before a laptop perched precariously on the end of a large bed. One had her hair dyed blonde and the other had dark hair wrapped in a thick braid. The blonde had a cookie halfway in her mouth and was typing rapidly while the other ate from a bag of potato chips. They were on the same site, similarly trying to make a profile for their similarly awkward friend before said friend came home from work.

Tohru Honda was twenty four, and her friends considered her too shy and too selfless to ever have hopes of finding a boyfriend on her own. She flushed at the mere mention of the opposite sex, and well, thought herself incapable of attracting them anyways. Though Uo and Hana enjoyed sharing an apartment with her, they wished she would meet more men since they knew she dreamed of marriage and a family of her own, especially after both her parents passed away. Since Tohru was taking no steps forward on her own, Uo and Hana decided to help her. Secretly. They knew she'd never approve of their ideas, so they waited until after they found a match for her, twenty minutes after they launched her profile.

They studied this Yuki Sohma character carefully, scrutinizing his pictures with suspicion before perusing the rest of his profile. They had to admit. This site was good. This man did seem to be a perfect match for Tohru, despite the strange picture he had posted. He had a high position in a job, so he had to be rich enough to support the large family she yearned for. He was handsome, and he loved cats. Besides, he quickly sent out a rather sweet offer to take her out to dinner tomorrow, so they had no qualms with agreeing and sending him their address. If he turned out to be scum, Uo could beat him with her lead pipe, and Hana could zap him with her waves; Hana had some strange special abilities, which included reading people's waves and harming them with such. She would serve as a sort of background check on this Yuki Sohma when he arrived tomorrow.

They were quite satisfied with themselves and eagerly bombarded their shorter, brunette friend with such news as soon as she stepped through the door.

"A d-date?!" she exclaimed after they finished explaining.

Tohru seemed flustered and on the verge of fainting. She clutched her hand bag to her chest, strangling the strap in her arms as she leaned against the wooden door. Her brown eyes were stretched wide open as she gaped at her friends in disbelief while they held the laptop to her face. They noticed the telltale blush across her cheeks as they showed her the site and the profile of the man who offered to take her out.

"Tomorrow he will be picking you up around seven to take you out to dinner," Uo affirmed with a smirk as she clicked on his profile picture and maximized it.

"B-But I don't know him! And I've never been on a date before! And I don't have any nice clothes or anything! Oh, Uo-chan! Hana-chan! I'm not ready!" she cried.

"Tohru, what about marriage? You need to find your future husband soon, I'm afraid, if you want all five kids you dream of," Hana reasoned in a monotone voice.

"B-But this is all so soon! I mean… He seems nice and all. And he does love cats, so maybe we can get a cat together… but I don't know him!" Tohru protested.

"Tohru, you can get to know him tomorrow. Besides, you shouldn't judge him now. You should give him a chance," Uo urged.

"B-B-But what if he doesn't like me? What if he thinks I'm strange? What if-" Tohru continued to babble.

"You'll never know until you try, Tohru," Uo reminded her.

"I-I-"

Her protests were cut off as Uo and Hana pulled her into her small bedroom and started rummaging through her closet for her outfit for tomorrow. She didn't seem to have much of a choice or say in the matter, so after a restless sleep and a stressful morning and afternoon preparing, she found herself in a simple pink dress, waiting in the living room for her date to arrive at seven.

"YOU DID WHAT?!" Yuki shouted only minutes after he had stepped into Shigure's house.

"We have greatly assisted you in your heart-wrenching search for the love of your life, dearest little brother," Ayame crooned as he made a second attempt to wrap the younger man with matching silver hair in an embrace.

Seconds later, Ayame lay unconscious on the floor with a large bump on his head, leaving Shigure to do the rest of the explaining.

"You see, Yuki, we have set up a dating profile for you. And we've found you quite a match. She's really cute, and she even loves to cook and clean!" Shigure exclaimed in a singsong voice.

"I don't care. Remove my profile now," Yuki seethed.

"But you have a date with her tomorrow at seven. You're picking her up to take her out for dinner," Shigure informed him.

After Shigure regained conscious and grabbed an ice pack for the growing bump on his head, he managed to climb up into his chair and over to his computer. He quickly brought up the website and clicked on Tohru's page before Yuki could pound him again.

"See? Isn't she beautiful?" Shigure sang with glee.

Yuki opened his mouth to retort and only walked over to the computer screen in order to remove his profile himself, but before he could say anything or even grab the computer mouse from Shigure, he words got caught in his throat. He stared at the brunette girl smiling so widely that her eyes were shut in the photo on her profile. He could quickly feel the blush creeping up from his neck and across his face. Yuki cursed the fact that he knew Shigure was watching him with a lewd expression, so he turned away sharply from the picture, resisting the urge to keep staring at the beautiful girl on the screen. Yuki forced the blush away from his face and made his eyes narrow into a glare as he scowled at Shigure.

"Cancel the date," Yuki ordered.

"What? Yuki, don't you think she is beautiful? Don't you want to take her out?"

"I don't know her. She doesn't know me. This is not a date. It cannot go well. I will not take a girl out on a date _you _set up for me _online_. If I want to take out a girl, I'll meet her myself and ask her out!" Yuki steamed.

"Yuki, you're twenty five years old, and you've never asked a girl out before. You're hopeless. Besides, how can we contact her? We don't have her number. And she'll be waiting for you all night if you don't show up…" Shigure mused.

"Shigure, just send her a message from that stupid site," Yuki hissed.

"Ahaha, Yuki. But you want me to delete your profile, don't you? Then how can I contact her?" Shigure laughed as he logged out of Yuki's profile.

"SHIGURE YOU WROTE I LOVED CATS! I AM GONNA KILL YOU!" Yuki screamed, catching a glimpse of his profile before Shigure closed it.

So when Ayame awoke, he found Shigure collapsed on the floor beside his computer sporting three more bumps on his head and Yuki furiously typing on the computer, trying to guess the password for his profile on the dating site but failing miserably. His teeth were gritted together tightly, and his veins looked ready to burst. His face was tinted red, but even Ayame doubted it was due to embarrassment, so like the good big brother he was, he wrapped a comforting, or so he thought, arm around Yuki, only to have it rudely brushed off. He folded his arms around his chest with a haughty sigh, but he couldn't stay mad at his little brother.

"Don't fret, dear brother. Tomorrow surely shall be your blessed day of romance! Soon love will sprout and you will be spewing forth children and thanks to your older brother!" Ayame laughed.

Ayame's body quickly joined Shigure's on the ground. In fact, Yuki kicked his body on top of Shigure's because he was blocking his access to the computer.

After 7 hours of trying to hack into his own profile, Yuki finally admitted defeat and took the scrap of paper with Tohru's address scrawled across that Shigure and Ayame gleefully offered him, but he stormed out of the door before either could mutter more nonsense.

That is how, Yuki wound up climbing up the steps to Tohru Honda's apartment with slumped shoulders. He had convinced himself he was only going in order to explain the situation and apologize to her. After he rang the door bell and she opened the door, however, he had to mentally curse to himself. She looked beautiful, decked out in a knee length pink dress with her long brown hair delicately curled. She was smiling with a faint blush across her cheeks as she looked at him. She was obviously excited for their date. He wondered how he could gently break the situation to her without hurting her and without making her hate him so he could eventually ask her out later.

Unbeknownst to him, however, Tohru's head was spinning with a similar dilemma. Since six, she had been hyperventilating with apprehension over her impending date, wondering whether he would even show, or if she looked too eager in the extravagant outfit Uo and Hana had forced her into, or whether she should tell him about how Uo and Hana had set up her profile. It would be cruel not to tell him, but it might also offend him. It would be deceitful of her not to though. She really hadn't been the one to create the account or respond to him, so he might think she was interested when she really didn't even have a role in setting up the date! Not that she _wasn't_ interested. Quite the contrary since she found him quite handsome, and they seemed compatible enough with his love for cats and all, but…

The door bell interrupted her thoughts. She jumped off the couch at the sound. Quickly, she fumbled for her purse on the coffee table as she hurriedly tried to straighten her dress and check her hair all at once before she scurried to the door. Looking at the clock by the door, Tohru was alarmed to see it was ten minutes to seven. He was early! He was so eager to go on a date with her and she had to confess to him that she hadn't even been the one to agree to go on such a date. She forced herself to stop biting her lip in nervousness as she slowly swung the door open and smiled at the man at her door.

Yuki tried to return her smile as well as he could, but even without glancing at the small mirror hanging on the wall across from him, he knew his lips formed a questionable smile at best, likely grossly misshapen. Nervously, he ran sweaty palms through the back of his hair as he fought to keep his eyes locked with hers, though she wasn't exactly helping by darting her eyes across every surface of the room and the hallway past the door other than any part of him. As if she knew what he was thinking, she finally mustered the courage to gaze at the tips of his shoes. He opened his mouth and got out half a word as a beginning of his explanation to her before two women came bursting out of a room from the back hallway.

When they saw him standing in the door way, the blonde rushed over eagerly and crowded by Tohru in front of the entrance, scrutinizing him with either excited or suspicious eyes. He couldn't quite tell what to call her expression as she scanned his entire being with her eyes over three times. The other nonchalantly meandered over without bothering to fight for a spot close to him. She seemed content to stand a foot off to the side and stare at him with apathetic eyes. Tohru still wouldn't quite meet his eyes, but she made it to his nose. She was blushing, seemingly embarrassed over her friends' behavior.

The blonde turned to her friend with a smirk, loudly announcing, "I don't recognize him from any gangs around here or from any "Wanted" signs. I'm giving my approval. How about you, Hana?"

"He seems overly nervous about a date, and his waves don't seem quite normal, but they seem good overall. I've found no intentions to do Tohru harm. He could be a little happier to be here, but I won't forbid this date," the one called "Hana" commented stoically.

Smirking, the blonde turned back to Tohru and him and told them, "Well, enjoy your date. You two are free to go!"

She shoved Tohru out the door and practically into him before she shut the door behind them. He briefly caught a glimpse of Tohru's panic-stricken face as they heard the lock click. She stood there with her back turned to him for what seemed like an hour and then shakily turned to face him with a death grip around her purse strap. The strap seemed deformed, as if she had done this a lot recently. When she lifted her face to his at last, the faint traces of building tears gathered at the corners of her eyes startled him.

Eager to make her feel at ease again, he started to tell her, "H-Honda-san, don't worry. We don't have to go anywhere if you don't want to. Please don't feel obligated to do this. I-I actually wasn't even the one who set up this date. My cousins sort of forced this upon me, so I won't be offended if you'd rather not go on this date with me."

"Really?!" she cried.

Her eyes brightened instantly, and she sounded so excited that, though he said he wouldn't be upset, he felt his confidence drop. His first official date was ending before they got one step past her door. Maybe Shigure and Ayame were right and he was in fact the most pathetic creature on earth. He'd probably have to start accepting dying alone or start looking for a Martian.

Before his self-deprecating thoughts could get any further, she continued, "My two friends set me up on this date too! And I was so worried that you'd be angry with me about this! This makes me feel a lot better!"

He allowed himself a small sigh of relief, and he almost smiled. She returned his smile so eagerly that he found his own faltering as he began to question his own appeal and to wonder if a date with him really seemed so appalling.

Hesitantly, he asked, "Well, would you still like to have dinner together?"

"Of course! T-That is if you'd still like to!"

They both looked at each other, both self-conscious, and stood in the hallway awkwardly together for a few minutes. Staring at her beautiful, bashful face, he took a deep breath and decided to make the first move.

"Do you have a favorite restaurant? Any place you'd like to try?" he queried.

"I… I don't eat out very often, so I wouldn't be a very good judge. I don't mind though! We can go wherever you'd like!"

"Do you like western food? I know a nice Italian restaurant ten minutes away."

"I'd love to try it! I've been learning how to make spaghetti anyways!"

"Then let's go."

He held out his arm for her to take, but she didn't move for a moment. She stood in front of her door and seemed uneasy as she shifted the strap of her handbag from her hands to her shoulder before taking a step towards him. Carefully, she slipped her arm through his while keeping her eyes directed at the plush carpet below. He waited for her to raise her downcast gaze, or for any signal to leave. Receiving none, he uneasily took a step forward, and finding she did not falter but willingly followed, he tried to seem confident as he escorted her down the spiral stairs, out the door, and into the passenger seat of his car.

The road seemed unnaturally slippery while he walked around the front of his car to the driver's seat, and he couldn't count how many times he almost tripped during the five feet journey. He could only pray that she didn't notice. Luckily, when he finally managed to slide into his seat, she seemed too preoccupied with clutching her handbag to process much else. He wasn't quite sure whether to take this as a good sign or not, so he could only start the car and head towards the quaint restaurant a few miles away. During the whole ride, he couldn't stop wondering why his car seemed so hot this cool night. He felt sweat dripping down the sides of his face the whole time, but he didn't dare turn on his air conditioning; he had noticed Tohru's slight shivers.

The whole night seemed rather strange, and it didn't seem any better when he parked the car in the small parking lot. He had been planning to open her door for her, but before he could get around to her side, she had already swung the door open, and then he tripped a step away. He fell against her door, slamming it shut against her knee that she had started to lift out.

Yuki hardly heard her pained gasp as he frantically yanked the door open and bent down to examine her leg, apologizing profusely the whole while. She only pulled the hemline of her dress lower to cover the darkening spot on her knee but otherwise didn't seem too bothered. He felt smothered with humiliation, but at least she still let him help her into the restaurant. She even offered him a small smile when the waiter seated them at a small booth in the corner next to a large window.

He desperately wished he could have said the dinner went better than their quiet drive, but if he were her, he'd be trying to escape. He could just curse himself for being so idiotic. After they finished explaining to each other how they had wound up on this date together, he had run out of topics to talk about, and the waiter had only just served their dishes. He tried to talk about himself, but he realized there wasn't much to his life. He told her about his recent promotion, his office, the crazy rush he'd been in last weekend to finish a last minute report, but that only took them through a few bites of dinner. She seemed too shy to offer anything herself except in direct response to his questions, and unfortunately, he couldn't think of too many questions that seemed appropriate for a first date.

He didn't want to seem overbearing and obtrusive, so their dinner ended up rather quiet, and when the waiter came with a dessert menu, she quietly declined. She even offered to pay when the bill came, and they had a small disagreement about paying. In the end, they ended up splitting the bill. As they left, he didn't dare take her arm after such a date. He dropped his hands into his pockets and slowly walked back to his car.

Tohru trailed behind him, frowning at how he walked slightly ahead of her rather than beside her and how he made no move to hold her arm as he had done earlier. She too was upset with herself for how she had acted during dinner. She was sure she had bored him. She had been so nervous, she could hardly speak, and then, she was sure she had offended him when she offered to pay, but she had felt guilty about such a wretched date. Now they were quietly heading towards his car, so he could drop her off and never see her again, but she was sure that she could like him, and maybe he would like her in return if only he'd give her a chance. She found his sleeve between her fingers and his eyes on her before she realized she had tugged on his jacket and now floundered for something to say.

"L-Let's go on a walk!" Tohru nearly shouted.

His eyes, bugged out with shock, made her stagger and choke on her own breath. Her efforts to fix the situation seemed to make him only think worse of her. She only dared to look at the tip of his left shoe when she tried to redeem herself.

"I mean the weather is quite nice today! Don't you think so? And this restaurant can't be more than a couple of miles away!"

He still didn't respond, so she began to question what seemed like a wonderful suggestion as she continued, "Well, maybe it doesn't seem like such a good idea for you… You did drive me here after all, and if we walk, you'd have to come back for your car. Then that wouldn't be quite a short walk for you, and you'd be alone on the way back, so you might get attacked! And then- Never mind! It was a silly idea! Let's just go back! Oh- I don't want to force you to drive me home! I can walk! I did say it was a short walk!"

Yuki listened to her rambling, rather alarmed. He wanted to interrupt her, but he didn't know how. He couldn't seem to find the right words, or any words for that matter. He had meant to grab her shoulder, but she still kept her face adverted from his, so she didn't notice that he wanted her attention, so she moved, and his hand wound up on a part of her body lower than he had intended. Then he apologized. He'd estimate around an hundred times, but he doubted she understood even one of the words he had said through his sputtering, choked speech. By this point, her blush made her look rather feverish, and they both wished they could burrow under a thousand feet tall mound of dirt or anything that'd hide them for an infinite amount of time.

Looking at her scarlet face, he knew she wouldn't dare say anything anymore, so if he wanted to rectify this situation, he'd have to make the next move.

"Do you still want to go for that walk?" he asked in a steady voice to his surprise.

Astonished, Tohru turned her wide brown eyes toward him with her mouth open, and she knew she should respond because his smile was fading with every passing second that she stood gawking at him. She could only force her head to mechanically nod, and then an awkward silence resettled upon them as she once again found herself one step behind him walking past his car.

Yuki noticed this too, and he tried to slow his pace to match hers, but then he'd wind up a pace behind her. Regardless, he was determined to end the date more positively than the rest of it had gone so far.

"Uhh… I guess the point of this is to get to know each other and clarify any misunderstandings from our rather unconventional way of meeting, and well, for one thing, I _don't_ love cats. I hate them… actually…" he admitted.

"Oh… I see," she quietly replied, looking away and sounding a little disappointed before she confessed, "I love cats."

Hearing that, he fought back a groan. So far, his efforts seemed to be to no avail. Embarrassedly rubbing his hand over the back of his head, he rambled, "Well… um… I guess I don't necessarily _hate _cats… I just am not overly fond of them. I mean if you love cats, I don't mind. We can even get a cat if you want…"

She peered up at him with wide, startled eyes. Opening her mouth, she tried to say something in return, but she only repeatedly opened and shut her mouth soundlessly. Even more than ever, Yuki wished himself anywhere but in the middle of a deserted road with a girl he had probably terrified. He deeply regretted that now that she had finally looked up at him, he could see nothing positive in her eyes.

"Forget what I just said!" he gasped, realizing what he had just said before hurriedly continuing, "I mean I know what I said just sounded quite extreme considering the brevity of our acquaintance. We don't really know each other so why would we get a cat together…"

He trailed off when he realized what he had just blurted out sounded no better than what he initially said, and worse, she wasn't even looking at him anymore. She had her purse tightly clenched in her hands again and her head lowered. He couldn't quite tell with her head angled so, but he thought she was biting her lower lip in what seemed like disgust or horror. He couldn't even look at her anymore, but they still had another mile back to her apartment, so he might as well continue to try to salvage their relationship, though he doubted he could actually refer to it as that.

"But I guess the rest of the profile seemed accurate enough to my knowledge. I really can't cook… or clean…" he acknowledged sheepishly.

Tohru actually looked up at him with a small smile. He almost missed her smile, but luckily, he happened to steal a glance towards her that very second, and then he couldn't look away. She was smiling! Not exactly at him but she was smiling while somewhat walking beside him after listening to something he told her!

"That's okay. I love to cook and clean," she told him.

After that, the rest of the date went quite smoothly. They finally managed to synchronize their walking without one pulling ahead or one falling behind. What seemed like a dreadfully long walk a few minutes ago now passed by rather too quickly for his liking. Only a few mere blocks separated them from her apartment and the end of his time with her, so he gathered his courage and reached for the tiny hand swinging back and forth beside him. She seemed startled at first but quickly relaxed and gently squeezed his hand with a gentle smile, so he dared to ask her to get a cup of coffee a couple of days later, and she agreed. When they reached her door, he was about to lean in for a kiss, but before he could even get inches within her lips, she fell backwards as the door she was leaning against opened and her friends dragged her inside and shut the door in his face.

But as he stood outside her apartment, rubbing his sore nose, he had to smile, and that smile didn't fade during the entire walk back to his car or on the drive home. Even Shigure and Ayame spotted this uncharacteristic happy expression across Yuki's face, and it generated rather inappropriate thoughts in their minds. Uo and Hana similarly were suspicious of happier than normal smiles across Tohru's face, but neither Yuki nor Tohru seemed to notice; they were both too busy thinking about coffee.

**I am not dead, just lazy. This was written because I think I write too much of a princely/charming Yuki and not enough of awkward Yuki c: I am actually working on a multi-chapter story! :D But since I am writing it out of order, who knows when it will be posted. Hopefully more oneshots soon too. **


	24. 由希 Yuki

Title: 由希- Yuki

Summary: After he is forced to have a visit with Akito, Tohru has to help Yuki find his hope again.

Rating: K+

Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Friendship (Romance)

Word Count: 1,781

It had been a week since that night when Akito requested Yuki come for a little visit. Despite how frozen with fear he had looked when Shigure told him the news, despite how Tohru's heart cringed at the sight, despite how they both tried, nobody could defy a direct order from Akito, so he went. Tohru had waited anxiously for his return all night, scrubbing dishes until she broke two plates, cooking and preparing all his favorite dishes until she ran out of ingredients, scouring the bathroom until it sparkled, but he didn't come back that night.

In the morning, Shigure found Tohru passed out on the kitchen floor, clutching a mop with one hand and a duster with the other. He didn't have the heart to wake her, so he just draped the small blanket from the living room over her and snuck a cushion under her head.

The ringing of the doorbell at noon aroused her from her fitful nap. Recognizing Hatori's sleek black car from the window, she hurried to the door and swung it open. Hatori stood there, supporting Yuki, who seemed unable to stand on his own two feet. Tohru shook as her eyes scanned Yuki. He refused to meet her eyes, keeping his head lowered and angled away from her, but she could see the bandage wrapped tightly around his forehead, the dark purple stain across his cheek, the cast around his left arm. He was wearing a loose, long-sleeved shirt instead of the short-sleeved, silk tunic he had worn yesterday. She didn't recognize the garment- and she should, since she did all their laundry. She was sure those sleeves hid more cuts and bruises.

She wasn't sure how long she would have stood there, immobile and staring, had Hatori not gently edged his way in. He gave her the slightest greeting before helping Yuki inside and up the stairs to his room. Yuki said nothing. She noticed he walked with a limp. By the time she came to her senses and ran upstairs to help Hatori, she could only catch a glimpse of Yuki's back huddled under his covers before Hatori came out and shut the door. He signaled to her to be quiet and led her downstairs.

Shigure was already sitting at the dining room table when they arrived. Hatori briefly told them what he knew; after he had brought Yuki to Akito's room as prompted, Akito had sent him away and locked the door. He lingered though, listening to crashes and screaming. Then he knocked, yelling for Akito to stop, but the head of the family either chose to ignore his knocks or didn't hear them over the chaos. Hatori knocked for five minutes before the door slid open; Akito ordered him to go back to his office and not to disturb him. Hatori had to obey; his body dragged him along. He returned to Akito's chamber ten times that night, but he received the same response each time. Only in the morning did Akito let Hatori in to tend to the crumpled body on the floor- the sedative Hatori slipped into Akito's tea may have been responsible for Akito's acquiescence.

Hatori had wanted to keep Yuki at his office for a couple of days at the least, but when Yuki regained conscious, he had protested in a weak voice, and Hatori couldn't refuse. He gave Shigure and Tohru strict orders to make sure Yuki rested, handed Tohru a bottle of pain medication to give Yuki when he awoke, and urged them both to care for the broken boy. He said this to both of them, but he was looking at Tohru when he spoke. Then glancing at his watch, he instructed them to call him if anything changed and rushed out, explaining on the way that he would probably have to spend the rest of the day calming Akito.

Truthfully, Tohru didn't remember that afternoon very well.

She did remember knocking on Yuki's door a couple of hours later with a tray holding a bowl of soup, a glass of water, and a couple of pills. Since he didn't respond, she took initiative and inched the door open herself, calling his name in a hushed tone. She noticed he remained in the same position that she had seen earlier- curled up in a ball with his head lowered under the covers. Tohru tiptoed over to his bed and set the tray down on the nightstand before carefully inching the covers from his face. His eyes were open, so she knew he was awake, but he didn't look up at her. He didn't even seem to realize she was there. He just stared down at the wooden floor.

Tohru slowly lowered herself down onto his bed and gently grasped his shoulder. He flinched at the contact but did nothing else. She swallowed hesitantly before turning back to the tray and grabbing one of the small pills. Though unsure of herself, she held out the pill in Yuki's line of vision. With his free hand, he slowly took the pill and swallowed it without water, as if he had done that many times before. She tried to feed him next, ladling out a spoonful of the soup and bringing it to his mouth, but he didn't move. She kept trying until the soup grew cold.

Then she left him alone to try to cook something he would eat, but he slept until the next morning. Even when she caught him awake, they continued their dance. She'd bring food, every kind she knew how to make, and try to convince him to eat, but he'd always only accept the small pills. She tried to plead with him, and she cried, but he'd continue to lie there with the occasional silent tear trying to race down his face before he could angrily swipe it away. It broke her heart.

Shigure called the school to excuse the two of them for a few days.

On the forth day, Shigure forced Tohru to go back to school. It was quite the challenge. He hadn't expected the normally docile girl to be so stubborn, but he managed to convince her to go with Kyo, after allowing her to cook everything that was left in the refrigerator and promising her at least a hundred times that he would check on Yuki and try to get him to eat every hour while she was gone.

When she returned, after running all the way back from the school, Tohru was surprised to find a mop of silver hair lying on top of the table. Panting, she stumbled over. He turned his head over and peered at her, seeming to finally recognize her for the first time in days. He tried to give her what looked like an attempt at a smile. She gave him a real one, despite her wet eyes.

She noticed a bowl with a few grains of rice left on the bottom and one of the dishes she had made this morning were beside him on the table. He was wearing the same shirt he had returned in, and his injured arm was tucked under the table. His hair was disheveled and greasy, and though he hadn't gotten out of bed for days, his eyes were framed by dark smudges. Tohru didn't mind. She dropped down beside him and wrapped her arms around him loosely, careful not to let their torsos touch so he wouldn't transform. She noticed the flinch he tried to restrain and felt layers of bandages where her hands rested on his back.

It was light and fleeting, but she felt it. His good hand shakily patted her back three times, settled there for a moment, and then he withdrew it.

She was appalled to realize he was comforting her.

Releasing him, she stared at him and glanced around the table before she raced off.

He didn't understand her actions but couldn't seem to vocalize a question.

Breathlessly, she returned with a sheet of paper and a pen. She sat herself back down beside him and neatly wrote two characters down: _Yuki_, his name.

"Yuki-kun, I can't pretend to understand the pain you're going through. I don't just mean your injuries, though I am sure they hurt very much. I mean everything that has happened to you since you were little… I think I've always thought I suffered a lot already, but when I think of you, I realize just how lucky I am. I don't know exactly what happened to you last week or what happened in the past, but I do know that you made it through, and that you will make it through, no matter how difficult it is now. Because you're brave, Yuki-kun. And you're strong. And you have so many people that care about you."

Tohru could feel tears welling up as she turned to the paper.

"But right now, I understand it's difficult to see that. But you must realize it's not hopeless! That it can't be! Because hope is right here!" she cried, gesturing to the second character of his name.

"Hope is right here, in _Yuki_, in you, and no one can change that or take that away. Even if everything else is gone, you will always have your hope. And with that, Yuki-kun, you can't give up. You can't! You must believe that it will be better tomorrow. And if not tomorrow, next week. And if not next week, then next year. And if not next year, in the next lifetime. You will always have your hope, Yuki-kun, and with that, I know you can conquer everything. No matter what has happened or what will happen. So please promise me, Yuki-kun," she plead, "that you will never give up. That you will always continue to search for your happiness. That you will always believe. That you will always hope."

She clasped his one hand with both of hers, gazing at him with fierce determination blazing through pools of tears. He stared at her and gave her a brief nod that made her smile. She gave his hand one more encouraging squeeze before she stood and grabbed the empty bowl off the table, rushing back into the kitchen to get him more.

Meanwhile, he stared at the sheet of paper and almost smiled his true smile. He spoke to himself as he picked up the pen and wrote four more characters beneath his name.

"Yes, I will always have my hope, and the reason for that is," he gestured briefly to the first character in his name before gazing at the name he had written, "you, Honda-san."

由- Reason

希- Hope

**I don't know if you can read Chinese characters on your computer, but all you need to know is that Yuki's name comprises of two characters and that the first means "reason" and the second, "hope." I'm not familiar with much Japanese writing (which means I basically know none), so this is based off of Chinese. Inspired by my curiosity as to what how Yuki's name is written- I got his name from the fanbook- and because I saw a Yukiru story with Chinese in the title and was like "WHOA. You can do that on here?" c: A drabble on his name because the only one I've seen so far is by SilverYouko300, though mine is a lot different, I hope. **


	25. Curing Prince Rat

Title: Curing Prince Rat

Summary: A prince has fallen into eternal sleep and needs his princess' kiss to awake. Supposedly, anyways.

Genre: Romance/Humor

Rating: K+

Word Count: 768

Once upon a time, deep in a forest in a land far, far away, sat a small house, where a prince, a princess, and a brave knight lived.

One day, the prince had fallen ill, unable to wake up, collapsed upon the floor in the kitchen. Two nobles knelt beside his fallen body with his limp head laid gently upon one of their laps as they both covered their faces with their hands to hide their bitter weeping. There was nothing they could do to save the poor prince. The brave knight had left two days ago, riding his valiant boar deep into the mountains to train, and the princess was nowhere to be found, so they sat, helpless and sobbing, until the door slid open and a tentative voice called out, "Shigure-san, Ayame-san?"

"Oh! Princess! You have returned!"

"At last! We are in utmost need of your pure and magnificent assistance!"

"W-What happened?"

"Yuki, you see, has collapsed!"

"Y-Yuki-kun?!" she cried, alarmed.

"Haven't you been learning mouth-to-mouth resuscitation? Perhaps you can save him, Tohru-kun!"  
"Y-Yes!"

"Only you, as the dear and wonderful princess of my dearly beloved fallen brother, can save him now from this treachery! Our fates depend on you," Ayame bellowed.

Tohru nodded, determinedly clenching her hands into fists as she marched over, setting aside her school bag as she knelt down before the unconscious teenage boy. Ayame and Shigure moved aside to give her space while Tohru rolled her sleeves up and placed her hands gingerly on Yuki's chest as a blush crept up onto her face, but she did her best to ignore the flames consuming her face as she firmly pressed down against the frail boy's chest before gradually lowering her lips against his and breathing deeply into his mouth twice. Her face flushed hotly as she focused her attention back on her two hands and resumed frantically pushing until the limp boy finally sputtered back to life, coughing and rolling onto his side with a grunt, and weakly tried to sit up.

"For the last time, I'm sleeping, not dying! Stop giving me CPR- H-Honda-san?!" The Prince faltered in his speech, seeing the wide brown eyes of his princess hovering above his face.

"Y-Yuki-kun! You're all right!" she exclaimed with her eyes shimmering in exuberance.

His jaw hung open loosely, and his eyes stretched wider and wider as her smiling face crept closer and closer in anticipation. His wild heart's violent thrashes against his ribcage started to cripple him. The heat overwhelming his face burned him. His muscles disintegrated into mush. He collapsed again. His head landed on the ground with a resonating crash that echoed before a 'poof' sound drowned it out. A cloud of smoke screened the poor boy, and the poor girl's panic resumed. As the cloud of fog cleared, she scrambled through the empty clothing on the ground until she came upon an unconscious rat buried under a pair of pants. Distraught, she took the furry being into her arms and turned to the two men in the room, who appeared to be fighting to hide their mirth.

"AH! SHIGURE-SAN! AYAME-SAN! HE FAINTED AGAIN! WHAT SHOULD WE DO NOW?"

"MORE CPR!"

"Quickly now, dear Princess! Do thrust yourself upon him and resuscitate my dear brother!"

"BUT HE TRANSFORMED!"

The two men prostrated themselves in desperation at her feet, pleading with tears dripping from their eyes. With her whole body shaking with anxiety, she laid the prone form on the ground as gently as her trembling hands could manage. Quizzically, she studied the small rodent before tentatively laying a finger over his furry abdomen and gently pressing down. Then she carefully blew air into his snout. After one more round, his beady eyes opened, but as soon as he recognized her leaning over him again, he seemed to have a fever-induced spasm and quickly lost conscious once more. Even the fur under her fingers felt heated. This sent Tohru into a frenzy, but luckily she managed to hold onto a strain of her sanity. She had to revive him five more times until a brief pause allowed him the respite to halt her actions before she made him blush himself back into unconsciousness again.

But then he transformed back, and she soon replaced him as the flushed unconscious form.

Meanwhile, Shigure and Ayame had slid into the corner of the room, trying to stifle their laughter before finally surrendering to their hysterics and giving each other a thumbs-up as they watched their alarmed prince try to restore the princess.

And they all lived happily ever after. Kind of.

**At first I was upset that I already used the title "Sleeping Beauty," but I like this title more c: I have a weird sense of humor, but I hope this made you smile at least! I am working on finishing my hoard of oneshots so I have something to publish since I seem to work on every chapter of my multi-chapter story except for the first one. **


	26. Waddling with Watermelons

Title: Waddling with Watermelons

Summary: An attempt to make a special dinner for her husband incurs the horrors of the oh-so-over-protective (and intrusive) extended family of Tohru.

Genre: Family/Romance

Rating: K+

Word Count: 4,576

She waddled. She waddled like a penguin and had been for the past couple of months. Yet it still embarrassed her, especially since she was without her usual companion, her husband, and in a very public place, the grocery store, today, but she was determined to accomplish her task, so she waddled into the store and waddled down the aisles with her shopping cart. People stared at her when she passed. Some smiled endearingly, fawning over her, others clicked their tongues in disapproval, speculating about her age, while others scoffed at her, brushing her aside as a nuisance. She just tried to hide behind the red shopping cart as best as she could, which didn't hide much.

Tohru looked and felt as if she were carrying around a ten-pound watermelon. Her back ached, her feet throbbed, and she was sweltering in the air-conditioned building. She felt as if she had just finished a marathon, and she had only been walking for five minutes. She was sure everything just felt worse because Yuki wasn't here, but she wanted to surprise him with a fancy dinner. It probably would be the last fancy dinner they'd have for a while anyways with the birth of their first child only a week away. Besides, if he were here, he would never have allowed her to exert herself in this manner. It had already taken everything she had to convince him just to spend a few hours away from her. She wasn't sure if she could even assure him that she felt fine any more than she already did.

This was the only chance she had. He had been unwilling to leave her side ever since they learned of her pregnancy, but neither of them could neglect a visit, directly requested, to Akito. They had been shocked and grateful enough when the head of the Sohma family had allowed them to wed without any complaints, though they were sure Hatori was most to thank for that for giving Akito those sedatives. Regardless, they were thankful and cherished every moment they had.

These meetings Akito wanted sporadically with Yuki, however, still frightened him. Tohru could tell, even if he didn't say anything. So that compelled her even more to make this dinner special. Her determination made her forget about her discomfort as she swept through the supermarket with new zeal, whirling around like a whirlwind and grabbing all the necessary groceries.

Tohru soon found herself with a full cart at the front of the checkout lane. Several people had let her step in front of them in line with courteous smiles; they had probably noticed her panting and how she could barely keep herself upright any longer, even with the cart as support. She realized she had never fully appreciated what Yuki did for her when they went out together. Not only did he carry everything for her, but she was also now sure he supported about half her weight the whole time she was on her feet. She hadn't noticed how heavy she had grown, and he never complained. Her sweet husband definitely deserved the fanciest feast she could muster up in the few hours before he returned, but now she couldn't quite say for sure that she'd have enough energy when she made it home, if she even made it home at all.

"Ma'am, are you all right?" the cashier asked when he finished checking out the person in front of her.

Tohru nodded as she finished setting the last of the groceries on the conveyer belt before her. She took small steps closer to the cash register as the man continued ringing up the items as quickly as he could. While watching the numbers steadily increase on the small screen, Tohru scrounged around in her handbag for her wallet. The cashier finished scanning the items the same moment Tohru fished out her credit card. She gave a brief sigh at the total, before swiping her card and signing her name- she had worked so hard to find the best deals, and yet it didn't seem to make a difference. Then she turned to help the young man help load her grocery bags back into the cart, but he kindly shook his head and finished the task himself.

"You know, ma'am, Yonosuke here can help you bring your groceries to your car," the cashier offered, gesturing to the younger man beside him.

"Oh no! I really wouldn't want to bother him. I'm sure he's very busy, and there's a long line. Besides, my husband has the car now," Tohru replied cheerfully.

"Your husband is making you carry all these home by yourself in your… condition?" he queried, studying her rounded abdomen.

"No, no, no! Yuki-kun is probably going to be very angry at me when he finds out later, but it's supposed to be a surprise! Though it doesn't seem like such a good idea anymore…" Tohru trailed off, looking worriedly at the long road that would take her to her little house.

They really didn't live far away from this shopping center. That was part of the reason why they had chosen the house they did, but when carrying a ten pound watermelon in addition to at least thirty pounds of groceries, a mile did seem like a rather herculean challenge. But it'd be worth it to see his smile when he saw all the dishes she was planning on making, after he scolded her for even making this trek, so she gave the cashier a determined look. Then she was off, hurrying out the store as fast as she could, which wasn't very fast, but she did make sure to push the cart back neatly into the line of them by the doors.

With three bags full of groceries hanging from both her arms, Tohru had barely waddled past the bench in front of the store before she was confronted by a scowling woman with blonde hair, her best friend, Arisa Uotani. Said woman promptly took all the shopping bags from Tohru's hands while giving her an angered look.

"What is the Prince making you do when you're so close to your due date?" Uo demanded.

"Oh, Uo-chan! Please don't be mad at Yuki-kun! He doesn't know about this! Really! I wanted to surprise him with one last special dinner before the baby came while he's out meeting the head of the family!" Tohru explained, though this didn't relieve Uo at all.

"So you were planning on walking a mile carrying all of these? Tohru! You're nine-months pregnant! You have to be more careful! What if something happened to the baby?" Uo admonished her.

This made Tohru frown. She hadn't thought she had been endangering her child by doing some shopping. She faltered and looked at the grocery bags shamefully. Of course, this made Uo squeeze her eyes shut in guilt. She hadn't meant to upset Tohru and was probably just giving the poor woman more stress than she needed.

"Look, the Prince would probably kill me if I didn't help you with all this, and I really don't want you to do this all by yourself, so let's go, Tohru. I'm just sorry I didn't drive here," Uo continued in a gentler tone.

"Oh no, Uo-chan! I really shouldn't impose on you like this! I'm sure you came shopping for a reason! I can't trouble you like this!" Tohru squeaked out in a rush.

"Tohru, think about the baby. And besides, I was just going to grab some beer anyways. That can wait."

Tohru had no choice but to waddle after her friend, empty-handed, as Uo led the way down the road. They hadn't even reached the end of the parking lot when a fancy black car that had passed them turned around and pulled up next to them. At first, Uo was suspicious and about to grab Tohru's hand and make a run for it, but before she could, the driver rolled down the window on the passenger's side, and Tohru chirped out a greeting to the driver with long dark bangs covering one eye.

"Good morning, Hatori-san! I didn't expect to see you here!"

"Tohru-kun, what do you think you're doing, walking around in this heat with the baby almost due? You should be inside and resting," Hatori reminded her.

"I just needed to buy a few groceries to make Yuki-kun a special dinner," Tohru meekly confessed.

Hatori sighed, closing his eyes, and breathed deeply before he stepped out of the car and opened the back door. He took the grocery bags from Uo's already outstretched hands and set them on the floor of the backseat before ushering Tohru into the front seat.

"Come, Tohru-kun. I'm taking you home," Hatori informed her, rather than offered.

"EH? But Hatori-san, I'm sure you're very busy, and I really shouldn't burden you! This really is such an inconvenience for you!" Tohru protested, but by this time, Hatori had already seated her in the front seat and had shut the door.

Uo gave Hatori a wry smirk and wink of approval before waving to Tohru, who sat in the car helplessly. She had to admit that sitting down and the air-conditioning felt just about heavenly now though. Normally, Tohru would have argued more and tried to leave the car several times before relenting, but when Hatori slid back into the driver's seat, he wore his no-arguments expression. He looked as if he had several lectures bubbling up inside him, holding back only because as a doctor, he knew how delicate she was now, so Tohru just silently accepted the ride. Self-consciously, she rubbed her large midriff with a frown.

"Tohru-kun, you must be careful with your condition. You shouldn't hesitate to ask any of us for assistance, especially when Yuki isn't around. We would all be glad to help you. Besides, you are part of our family now, or do you not consider us your family?"

"Of course I do, Hatori-san! It's just that I don't want to be troublesome! You've all already done so much! I don't know how I could ever repay you all!" Tohru cried.

"Tohru-kun, don't get worked up. Since we all are family, you shouldn't concern yourself with repaying anyone."

"But everyone has already been so kind! Ayame-san and Kagura-san have already made so many things for the baby, and everyone's already been over so many times to help us set up and decorate the nursery. Not to mention all the check-ups you've had to do for me, Hatori-san! And Shigure-san said he'd even write a book for us!"

"You don't have to thank us, especially not Shigure."

Tohru didn't quite understand Hatori's comment about Shigure. It seemed that after all these years, she still had no grasp on the true nature of Shigure's novels. Hatori sighed. Maybe it was better that way anyways. He could feel a growing headache, but he didn't say anything. They sat in a rather uncomfortable silence as he drove her back to her house. Tohru kept fidgeting nervously while his building headache made him even less conversational than usual. Luckily, the ride didn't take very long. He helped her into the house with a medium-sized black bag in his hand. He seated her on the couch before retrieving her bags for her from the car, declining her offers to help. Tohru got up, intending to start unpacking the groceries, when he returned, but she could only stand before he gently pushed her back onto the couch.

Despite her protests and assurances that she felt fine, she found herself lying on the couch with Hatori hovering over her and a stethoscope wandering across her mountain of a midsection.

"The baby's heartbeat is very strong, Tohru-kun. I wouldn't be surprised if your water breaks tomorrow. You should be prepared," Hatori advised.

"Of course," Tohru replied with a grin. "Yuki packed a suitcase with everything we would need a week after we found out I was pregnant!"

"Are _you_ ready though?" he rephrased the question, looking at her seriously.

"I-I guess! I think Yuki-kun is more worried than I am!"

Regardless of her assurances, Hatori lingered around for half an hour, refusing to let her leave the couch though she was anxious to start on dinner. He didn't start for the door until she felt languid enough to fall asleep, but after Hatori let himself out, she did manage to lift herself from the comfortable couch- after three tries. She could only finish washing and cutting a few vegetables before the back door opened though. Turning around, she found a man with bright orange hair in the kitchen. He studied her, allowing his eyes to traverse her body several times before he glanced at what she was doing. Then just short of panicking, he forced her onto a nearby stool and took the knife she was holding from her.

"What do you think you're doing?!" he practically shouted.

"M-Making dinner?" she choked out in a voice just short of a squeak.

"Don't you think you should be resting with, you know, the baby or whatever…?"

"But Kyo-kun, we need to eat! I can't just let Yuki-kun starve, and I don't think Yuki-kun's cooking will be good for the baby," Tohru admitted with a small smile as she patted her stomach.

"Where's the damn rat then? I'll kill him for working you like this when you're… like that! Why can't he just learn how to cook?!" he snapped.

"Kyo-kun," Tohru said with a laugh, "don't kill Yuki-kun. Our baby is going to need him. And besides, Yuki-kun is like you. Yuki-kun would be mad if he found me like this. He hasn't let me cook very much these past couple of months. I think he hired a secret chef! So I just want to make him a special dinner one last time before the baby comes."

"So where is he? How can he leave you alone when you're… this big?"

"Kyo-kun and Yuki-kun really are similar. Yuki-kun was worried about the same thing this morning, but Akito-san asked to see him. He should be back in a couple of hours though."

Kyo looked away at Tohru's explanation, declining to comment. The brief frown that traversed her face when she mentioned the family head discomforted him, even more than acknowledging the child that resided inside her. A long time had passed since high school, since he was contending against Yuki for her heart. It had taken him years to recover from his heart ache. He had almost refused to attend their wedding, but he was glad Kagura had dragged him to the temple. Seeing her that happy to see him after so long and so happy to be wed to his nemesis made him happy too. He had leapt over the final hurdle, but life didn't become easy after that; it took all his effort to force himself to visit the newlyweds, but it eventually became customary for him to come. Tohru always set out a plate for him every Wednesday for lunch. At first, his visits irked Yuki, he assumed, because Yuki suspected he was trying to steal his new bride, but they quickly resumed their harmless banter. Still he'd be lying if he said their announcement of Tohru's pregnancy didn't make his heart flinch. He still struggled to speak of it, clearly, but Tohru either didn't notice or didn't mind.

"So… how much longer until… the ba- you're done… with the baby?"

"Done with the baby?" she repeated quizzically.

"Yeah… 'til the baby comes?"

She smiled. "Hatori-san said it could be any day now. Even tomorrow!"

"Are you scared?"

"I'm not scared exactly. I'm a little worried that something might go wrong, but I think everything will be all right. Hatori-san is a wonderful doctor after all, and the baby kicks so strongly that I know he'll be healthy!"

"He kicks you?"

"Yes!" Tohru giggled.

He just stared at her, appalled.

"But it's a good thing. It just shows that he has a lot of energy. Besides, I'm sure there's not much room in there, right, baby-san?" Tohru crooned, turning towards her midriff.

Kyo watched her awkwardly as she affectionately stroked her abdomen. As silence enveloped them, Kyo knew he should say or do something, but he didn't know what. He tried to think of something nice to say about her baby, but all he could really think about when he looked at her pregnant body was how that child would probably be an exact replica of Yuki in appearance and attitude. He was sure he was scowling somewhat, but luckily, she seemed too distracted to pay much attention.

"AH! I have to get back to making dinner or it'll never be done in time!"

Tohru hastily jumped off the stool with a frantic expression. She hurriedly wrenched the knife from his hand before he knew what she was doing and resumed rapidly chopping the vegetables before her. When his mind caught up with her actions, he had to wrestle with her to get the knife back and almost impaled himself on the blade, twice.

"Tohru! You're pregnant! You should be taking it easy!"

"Kyo-kun! I need to finish making dinner!" she argued, holding her hand out for the knife.

"J-Just sit down! I'll help you!" he yelled.

He gently pushed her back onto the stool and handed her a peeler instead while he took over the chopping for her. He couldn't cut as finely or evenly, of course, but he doubted the damn rat would notice. Tohru sighed as she started peeling the last of the vegetables, letting him cut each one after she finished. He even cut the leeks willingly, but when she stood to find a mixing bowl and some seasoning, he almost threw a fit, and she had no choice but to retreat back to her stool and let him scrounge around for what she requested, though it took him nearly ten times longer than it would have taken her- not that her kitchen was messy or disorganized. She shook her head with a small smile as she started mixing the vegetables with the countless different spices that he finally procured for her.

"What?" he questioned with a frown.

"Kyo-kun is worse than Yuki-kun. At least Yuki-kun lets me stand!" she told him with a giggle.

He sneered, but he didn't say anything as he watched her turn to the meat he had sliced for her and begin seasoning that too. When she set down the last jar of spice, she turned to look at him hesitantly.

"Kyo-kun isn't going to let me cook this, is he?" she commented with half a smile.

"Argh!" was his guttural reply and "Eep!" was hers as he grabbed a rung of the stool she sat on and dragged her over to the stove.

After she had steadied herself before the stovetop, she beamed at him. Only with a few muttered complaints about how the damn rat didn't deserve any of this, he grudgingly moved all of her ingredients from the far counter to the one beside the stove and retrieved the pans and pots she requested. Though she had to admit cooking tired her less this way, it wasn't exactly comfortable or convenient, being stuck in one spot and dependent on Kyo to fetch other items she forgot to ask for before, but though he looked rather sullen, he didn't really mind, that is, until the door swung open again.

"My dearest little sister! I've new creations to bequeath upon my beloved n- Kyonkichi? Do my aging eyes deceive me or would that be you? Whatever brings you here? Not another attempt to whisk away the bride of my beloved younger brother, is it? And when she's mere days away from bringing his child into this world? For shame!" the newest entrant to the house proclaimed with a dramatic turn of his head that sent his knee length white hair fluttering through the gentle breeze blowing into the house.

"EH?"

"SHUT UP! I am not whisking Tohru away or whatever!" Kyo roared angrily.

Ayame, however, ignored Kyo's rants and the throbbing vein on his forehead, focusing all his attention on his sister-in-law. Kneeling down before Tohru, he took her hands in his, even though she still held onto the large wooden spoon she had been cooking with.

"How is my dearest little niece? She's not giving you too much trouble already, is she? I do hope she is more docile than my dearest brother. I haven't yet managed to convince him to return any of my calls! Isn't it a tragedy?"

Tohru seemed too overwhelmed to even respond as nine others trekked in, their faces obscured by the large boxes they were each carrying.

"A-Ayame-niisan! What is all this?!" she gasped.

"My creations! For my favorite niece! And for you too, my beloved sister," Ayame gushed.

He turned towards the nearest box and pulled out a little pink maid costume with a matching adult version, though it didn't seem as if Ayame used much more fabric to make the larger one. Tohru looked ready to faint while Kyo looked ready to barf as Ayame continued pulling out little dresses and skirts. He made everything- a fluffy fur coat, an elegant ball gown, a puffy ballerina dress, silk kimonos. He continued pulling out sets of intricate infant-sized clothing until the person holding the box stumbled and the box crashed to the floor, revealing a nonchalant Haru. Ayame looked on with horror as a tiny bikini hit the ceramic tiles. Immediately, he grabbed the rest of the boxes and set them on the ground before another accident occurred, revealing Kagura, Ritsu, Kisa, Hiro, Shigure, Rin, Momiji, and Kureno.

"B-But we don't even know if we're having a girl!" Tohru could only utter, clutching the spoon tighter as she gazed at everyone with wide eyes.

"Nonsense! It must be a girl with all of my magnificent creations! Though they do suit boys just as well!"

Before Tohru could fall out of the stool in her astonishment, Kagura and Kisa both rushed over to her now that they were relieved of their burdens. They both clung to the shaking woman, helping to support her precarious position on the stool, though that hadn't seemed to have been their intention.

"Tohru-chan! My Kyo hasn't been making you slave away for a meal when you're this far along in your pregnancy, has he?" Kagura exclaimed in disbelief.

"Shut up, you stupid woman! I would never make her work like this!"

"Kyo-kun has been helping me make a special dinner for Yuki-kun, Kagura-san!"

"Kyo helping make a dinner for Yuki? Are you sure, Tohru-kun?"

"Tohru! Tohru!"

"Onee-chan! Are you sure you should be cooking right now? Even if it is for Yuki-nii?"

"Dumb woman, are you trying to worry Kisa to death? Are you-"

"I think Yuki would prefer it if you rest and order take-out. Should I fetch some for you?"

"Maaa…. Haa-kun! By the time you get back, Tohru-kun will have had her baby already! Besides, Yuki-kun might be expecting a different type of _dessert_, neh, Tohru-kun?"

"EH?!"

"I'M SO SORRY! IT'S ALL MY FAULT THAT TOHRU-SAN IS WORKING SO HARD EVEN THOUGH SHE'S EXPECTING A BABY! NOW THE BABY MIGHT NOT MAKE IT! I DESERVE TO DIE!"

"SHUT UP!"

"Don't scare Tohru like that!"

"Tohruuuuu! I want a hug! I want a hug!"

Everyone seemed to speak, or shout in some cases, at once. Less than five minutes after Ayame made his entrance, Tohru was only partly seated on the stool, having fallen back into Kagura's arms, with a yellow rabbit hanging onto her round abdomen while an unconscious Ritsu lay on the ground, half buried under more little dresses that Ayame had been tossing about to show Tohru all the while. Rin stood in the corner, scowling, beside an apathetic Haru and Kureno, who offered a pitying smile at the flustered Tohru. Kisa was tugging on the corner of Tohru's apron with her brow furrowed with worry while Hiro rolled his eyes at Kyo, who was trying to punch Shigure.

Then Tohru interrupted them all with a loud shriek as black smoke started to waft from the pots and pans on the stove. She almost tossed the rabbit from her lap as she turned back to the stove and started frantically stirring and removing lids. Even Ayame paused to watch as her hands moved about so fast that they could only see the blur her movements left behind. She only paused and let out a sigh of relief after she had all the salvaged dishes on platters.

They all looked guiltily on as the stressed mother-to-be caught her breath, but none could even stutter out an apology before the door opened again, and an angry Hatori and stunned Yuki entered.

Yuki rushed over to his wife, helped her off the wobbling stool, and settled her into a steadier chair by the kitchen table while Hatori shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Only after he checked over Tohru and inquired after her wellbeing three times did Yuki dare to glance around the chaotic kitchen that he could hardly recognize anymore. He instantly regretted doing so and dropped into the chair beside Tohru with his hand over his face.

"What's going on in here?" Yuki and Hatori asked at once.

Neither could make out a clear answer as the other eleven occupants of the room started talking simultaneously. Yuki only groaned, rubbing his temples as he felt his head throb. Concerned, Tohru felt his forehead, and while they busied themselves over one another's health, Hatori worked on ushering the rest out, using shoves and threats when necessary. When the doctor was the last guest left, Yuki turned to him with a grateful smile.

"Thanks, Hatori."

Hatori gave him a curt nod before addressing Tohru, "Honda-kun, I'll stop by tomorrow to give you another checkup in case _this_ left any permanent damage, but for now, I'll let you two have some alone time and try to keep everyone else at bay."

Tohru couldn't even attempt to insist that it was all quite unnecessary before Hatori shut the door behind him and Yuki locked and bolted it. With a smile, Tohru just stood, waddling over to plant a gentle kiss on Yuki's lips before retrieving the dishes and setting them on the table. After adding two empty plates and some silverware, lighting the set of candles that Ayame probably left at some point during his visit, and turning off the lights, she grabbed Yuki's hand and led him back to the table with a grin.

"What's all this for, Tohru?"

"It's for you. This might just be the last dinner with just the two of us before the baby comes, you know," she reminded him.

"I hope you didn't tire yourself with all th-"

Tohru quickly placed her fingers over his mouth. "Please. I don't need that from you too today. I'm pregnant, not ill."

He chuckled. "All right. All right. I'll keep it to myself for tonight, but after dinner, you're going to bed."

Tohru just smiled through her sigh and let Yuki serve her as she wondered what her family would be like when the baby actually came. They probably wouldn't let the poor thing take its first step before age ten.

**Because I haven't written a oneshot involving pregnancy in a while o_o (I think the ending is a little off though- Tell me what you think? :D) **


	27. Neko-chan

Title: Neko-chan

Summary: In which Yuki gets Tohru a cat.

Genre: Romance/Family

Rating: K+

Word Count: 2,486

**Dedicated to Miri-chan for always taking the time to review even though I can't reply because it's anonymous! :D Just wanted you to know that I always appreciate it! **

Tohru fretted as she used a cotton ball doused with alcohol to swab the new cut that ran from his elbow to his wrist and that was bleeding profusely. He just sighed, wearing an apathetic expression since she contorted her face with enough anxiety for the both of them as she disposed of another red piece of cotton and pulled out a roll of gauze that she began to liberally wrap around his arm. She peeked up at him through teary eyes as she tied a bow with the ends of the bandage.

"Yuki-kun, you know we don't have to keep Neko-chan."

"No… You love Neko-chan, and Neko-chan loves you. It's fine," Yuki assured her though he said the name with a hint of annoyance.

It started two weeks ago when Yuki stepped into the house, yelling, _"Here, Tohru! Take it! Take it!" _

_...  
_

Tohru had run into the living room frantically, still holding a wet dishrag in her hands, which she dropped with a scream at the sight before her. Yuki stood with one foot in the house and the other half on the porch with his hands outstretched, clutching a hissing white kitten as far from his body as he could while the kitten repeatedly sunk its claws into his flesh and dragged them viciously. Blood trickled from the long scratches that crisscrossed his face and checkered his arms. His sleeves hung on his arms in tatters, and a long rip in his shirt revealed a gash in his chest that had stained the edges of the tear a rusty shade of red.

"Take it! Please!" Yuki urged her when she didn't move.

Hesitantly, Tohru stepped over and took the small ball of white fur from Yuki's rigid fingers. The kitten immediately curled against Tohru, rubbing its pink nose against her neck and purring contently as its paws stroked her after retracting its claws. Completely baffled at the kitten's reversal of demeanor, Tohru could only hold the cat in her arms and pet it mindlessly while she continued to stare wide-eyed at Yuki, who was panting and slouched over with his hands on his knees.

"W-What is this, Yuki-kun?" she choked out weakly.

"That's… That's your birthday present. I know it's a little early, but I don't think I can manage him any longer," he explained between haggard breaths.

"Oh, Yuki-kun! But did you have to pick a kitten that seems to hate you so much?" she questioned, noting that even spots of the kitten's fur had hardened with splashes of dried blood.

"Hate me? Tohru, that cat is the one that _likes _me the most. You should have seen the rest at the three pet shops and five animal shelters I visited!"

"B-B-But you're bleeding all over!" she cried, nearly tossing aside the kitten to fuss over his injuries.

He halted her by holding out his hand with a bulging plastic bag covered with small tears all over. Possibly more bewildered than before, she could only blink at his actions, though she secured that cat more carefully in her arms. In response, he just extended the package closer towards her and jostled it until she finally freed one hand from the soft white fur and relieved him of his burden, which turned out to be heavier than she had anticipated.

"You should feed him. He hasn't eaten or drunk anything since we left the store, which was hours ago because he kept distracting me from driving."

"B-But you-"

"I'm fine, Tohru. You can take care of me after you take care of the cat. I think he'll just resent me more if you tend to me before setting up his litter box."

She reluctantly acquiesced after she had him seated on the sofa but only retreated into the kitchen after peeking back at him warily a few times. He could hear her opening packages and scurrying around trying to fit the new addition to their family and all his new belongings into the kitchen. The cat meow happily as cans were opened and emptied into a fancy plastic red dish, water flowed into a matching blue one, the litter box was filled, and a soft bed was arranged along with a gray mouse toy. He could see glimpses of the ball of fur rubbing himself against Tohru's ankles as she moved around, so he almost smiled at his newest enemy because he knew she was doing the same, even though the door frame obscured her face and even though she was still concerned about his well being.

When Tohru returned to the living room, the cat was trailing a few steps behind her and hissed at him when he realized Tohru was choosing to now spend time with Yuki instead of him, and the cat nearly pounced with his claws out, but his face of innocence immediately returned as soon as Tohru turned back towards him. She only saw him sitting on the carpet with his head tilted to the side and his long tail swaying back and forth.

"Go ahead and eat, Neko-chan! I'm just going to help Yuki-kun clean up," she told the kitten.

Obediently, the cat retreated, and when Tohru had her back turned on him again, he narrowed his blue eyes at Yuki and bared his sharp teeth and claws. Yuki winced, but he couldn't even begin second guessing his decision to buy Tohru a cat before Tohru, who had attributed his grimace to the many bleeding wounds that covered his body, tugged him off the couch and ushered him into the nearest bathroom, which happened to be next to the kitchen, so he happened to hear a faint hiss as he passed by, but Tohru seemed too distracted to notice.

Neko-chan's behavior only seemed to worsen once Yuki left the bathroom. Initially, this was only evidenced by occasional scratches to Yuki's feet when Tohru stepped into another room, though usually the cat never left Tohru's side. At night, however, as they readied themselves for bed, Neko-chan vaulted into the room before Yuki could close the bedroom door and jumped onto the bed, where Tohru currently laid under the covers. Then he nuzzled against Tohru and made pitiful expressions and mewed until Tohru let him dive under the covers with her and snuggle against her.

Tohru cast Yuki a bit of an apologetic look as he cautiously approached the bed. Neko-chan watched him as he tentatively placed his hand and then his knee onto the mattress, but he only dared to show his displeasure with a feline scowl as Tohru was watching, so he had to let Yuki climb into bed and under the same blanket, but that didn't stop him from jabbing a claw into his side when Yuki tried to give Tohru a goodnight kiss or from scratching him after Tohru had fallen asleep until he forced Yuki to occupy the minimal amount of space on the edge of the bed.

Yuki wasn't surprised when he woke up in the morning on the floor, aching all over and with dried blood staining his pajamas, and saw Neko-chan seated on Tohru's stomach with a satisfied smirk, waving his tail in victory.

This sleeping arrangement soon became a nightly ritual, though Neko-chan always made sure Tohru never suspected him as the cause to Yuki's sudden increased clumsiness, dutifully distracting her with his morning greetings of playful licks and nuzzles and keeping her occupied for the first hour of the morning. If Yuki was lucky, Tohru managed to sneak him a small peck on the lips and Neko-chan would only glare.

Day time didn't pass much differently. Neko-chan got Tohru to move his dishes right under her spot at the table so he could keep himself pressed against her legs at all times by refusing to eat until she did so. This also allowed him to sneak attacks at Yuki's unguarded legs under the cover of the table, so Tohru only ever saw Yuki flinch periodically, and of course, Neko-chan always safely snuggled himself back on Tohru's feet before she could even ask Yuki what was wrong. This played out breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Between meal times, Neko-chan felt it his duty to make sure Yuki could not make contact with Tohru at all without risking the safety of his limbs. If they happened to want to watch a movie at night, Neko-chan would hop up onto Tohru's lap and curl up against her until the movie ended. He would whip Yuki with his tail if Yuki even tried to reach for Tohru's hand, so Yuki always found himself a cat's tail length away from Tohru on the couch. If they happened to want to work on the garden in the backyard, Neko-chan would dance around Tohru, successfully acting as a barrier around her to Yuki. He'd get so much mud on his fur that Tohru would have to spend the rest of the night giving him a bath and combing his fur, and unlike most cats, he'd only seem to smile the whole time she did so, or at least he grinned every time Yuki spotted Neko-chan and Tohru together in the bathroom.

And heaven forbid that Yuki should find himself at home alone with the cat, cat-sitting while Tohru spent the day with Hana and Uo. Tohru didn't do so out of malice, of course. Rather, she believed Neko-chan had changed his mind about Yuki and started to like him since the cat knew how to act like an angel whenever Tohru was near, but every second she stepped out of earshot, he ambushed Yuki like a trained assassin, so every time Tohru left the house, Yuki either had to flee his own home or tread across his own floor at his own peril.

Tohru might as well not return as it didn't seem to matter if they were home together or not- Neko-chan always made sure Tohru didn't have a single free second for Yuki. Neko-chan not only barred their physical contact, but also any communication. Each time Tohru tried to speak to Yuki, Neko-chan would tickle her with his tail until she couldn't speak through her giggles, and if she seemed about to leave him to spend some time with Yuki, he'd quickly recall her attention, pulling all his cute tricks. He never seemed to tire of acting clumsy as he pounced on his stuffed mouse toy and rolling around as if he hurt himself to make Tohru fret over him.

And he was an expert of _cute. _Even Yuki had to admit the cat knew how to scrunch up his furry face ever so adorably that Tohru had to stop whatever she was doing and forget whatever she had been thinking about to gush over the kitten and rub his belly affectionately.

Then there had been that awful experience when Tohru had embraced Yuki out of guilt for not even being able to speak over three words to him for the past few days. She seemed to have forgotten about the curse, and he found himself trapped inside Neko-chan's mouth within seconds of the transformation. He thought he was going to die in there after Neko-chan caught him with his sharp claws and gnawed with his sharp teeth, but fortunately, Tohru's distress immediately forced Neko-chan to relinquish his treat to her. The only bright side was that Yuki got to spend hours of alone time with Tohru as she dressed the deep puncture wounds while Neko-chan sulked in the kitchen.

Of course, those few hours were only a very small fraction of the time that had elapsed since Neko-chan joined their home.

The cat was easily winning the contest for Tohru's time and attention, and Yuki had never felt less like Tohru's husband since he believed she was in love with Kyo when they were in high school.

He would have felt more jealous had Neko-chan not made Tohru so happy, so Yuki had no choice but to try to hide his frequent wounds from Tohru, though she always inevitably found out, like today, and Yuki was always grateful for the hour or so of alone time with Tohru as she nursed him because it was the only time he really got to spend with her without the threat of Neko-chan's claws.

...

"B-But I don't want you to keep getting hurt like this! Besides, I think we'll be busy enough sooner or later with our own baby. I don't want Neko-chan to feel neglected or lonely, and it'll be awful if Neko-chan doesn't get along with our baby either," Tohru mused.

She looked at him with a thoughtful crease between her eyebrows and her head tilted to the side. Then her frown deepened as she leaned in closer and scrutinized a thin cut next to his eye. His eyes widened, and he tried to define the emotion he saw darkening her brown eyes, but he could hardly tell with her face mere inches from his. Her left hand kept a firm grip on his jaw and kept him from moving his head to get a better look while she generously doused his cut with alcohol. Then she turned around to dig around in the large first-aid kit to find the perfect bandage, so he had no choice but to try to voice his muddled thoughts.

"But I thought the test was negative…?"

"Yes. This time. But I'm sure it won't be soon enough!"

Yuki sighed, taking Tohru's hand in his. He tugged her away from the box she had been rummaging through and back towards him. Though Tohru looked rather disconcerted with her eyebrows arched and five different bandages in her free hand, she let him pull her onto his lap and hold her as close as he could without risking transforming and getting squished or successfully eaten by the cat he heard prowling outside the door. He tried to ignore the feline shadow the crept in under the crack of the door as he kissed her gently on the side of her forehead.

"You love Neko-chan," he repeated firmly. "And I'm sure Neko-chan will love the baby whenever it comes."

"But I would rather be able to hold my husband's hand without him flinching in pain!" she protested, lifting his bandaged hand with a grimace.

Again, Yuki sighed.

"Then what are we going to do with Neko-chan?"

She looked at him with her mouth half open, perplexed, but after a minute, she grinned. "I think I know someone who will enjoy Neko-chan very much!"

But a few weeks later, after Tohru finally got the positive test she had been praying for, Neko-chan's new orange-head owner and supposed cat and cat aficionado called in a very disgruntled voice.

"Oi! What are you thinking? Giving me that devil cat?! Is this some sort of joke your damn rat husband is trying to play on me?"

**Because I love stories in which Yuki acknowledges Tohru's love of cats. **


	28. Grandchild

Title: Grandchild

Summary: Yuki contemplates all that has transpired as he sits with Tohru, watching their grandchild, the daughter of his and Machi's daughter and Kyo and Tohru's son, play in the yard.

Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Family

Rating: T

Word Count: 861

I wasn't a very good father or husband. I think Machi realized early on that I hadn't proposed out of love, and yet, she still bore me my only child, my daughter. I think I love her, though I'm not sure. She's my child, so in an obligatory sense, I do love her, but I was distant and not very affectionate. I'm sure, even as a child, that she knew I wished she had a different mother. She resented me for this when she entered high school, and we fought, or she fought with me. I didn't argue back. It's probably not what you think. I'm not a pushover father. I don't just let her win arguments and don't fall into tears because she's angry. I can't argue with her because all her accusations are right.

I don't love her, and I don't love her mother. We reconciled somewhat before she left for college. I say reconciled, but she just seemed to accept the fact that I couldn't love her or her mother. She grew as distant as I had always been, and I can't say that really hurt me. Seeing her, however, did hurt me. She looked just like her mother, and it was just a guilty reminder of what I was doing to both Machi and my own daughter.

I grew more withdrawn after she left for college because it was just me and Machi then. I must admit I grew some respect for Machi during our marriage because never once has she shown any resentment towards me for what I did to her or our daughter. She never once asked for a divorce. She never once even said a bad thing about Tohru, but I guess it would have been rather difficult to realize I was in love with Tohru and had been all along since I dutifully avoided her as much as possible as well, though for different reasons. I think I've seen her a total of six times since her marriage to Kyo, but I know she's happily married, unlike me, and she has a son. A son with bright orange hair and amber eyes. She has a son and husband she loves very much.

Maybe Machi noticed when we began seeing Kyo and Tohru more often after our daughter and their son got engaged. I was surprised at their announcement, but how could I have seen any of the signs when I barely talked to or even saw her? Tohru was overjoyed at the news and did most of the planning with my daughter and my brother. I think I saw more of my daughter in those few months of her engagement than I did in her whole life, though it's evident I didn't have the purest reasons for showing my face so often then.

I think I am to blame for the hastiness of her marriage and the start of her family. She must have been eager to have a proper loving family after living with me as her father. She must have been eager to have the happy family she saw that her new husband had. I can't blame her.

This all happened two years ago. Now I was at my daughter's new house, sitting on their porch with Tohru beside me, my hand on top of hers, casually, and watching our one-year-old granddaughter wobble around on the front lawn while Kyo was sparring with his son in the backyard and Machi was catching up with our daughter inside.

"She's adorable, isn't she, Yuki-kun?" Tohru gushed as our granddaughter, Kyoko, ran up to us, giggling and holding out a daisy for Tohru.

"Yes… she looks just like you, Tohru-san," I noted as Tohru lifted the child onto her lap.

"Really? You think so? I think she looks like you. She has your eyes anyways."

I just smiled. Kyoko had gray eyes, but they resembled mine only in color. They were large and round like Tohru's. She has mahogany hair like Tohru's, rather than dark brown like Machi's. Actually, she didn't seem to have any of Machi's or Kyo's features. I'm sure if a stranger saw us right now, they'd think Kyoko was Tohru's and mine. We'd both had our children rather young after all, so we didn't exactly look like grandparents yet.

What the strangers passing by on the sidewalk in front of us saw was all I ever wanted. To sit next to Tohru with a child on her lap who grasped at my shirt, in front of a newly built house, surrounded with blooming flowers, with all three of us smiling.

The problem with this scene was that it was an illusion, so as all ephemeral idealizations must, it fled with the encroachment of reality.

It ended minutes later when Machi and our daughter walked out, done with their talk, and Kyo and his son moved their sparring match to the front. My daughter took Kyoko, and Tohru left to go tend to her son, who had just missed dodging one of Kyo's kicks. Then, Machi took the seat Tohru had vacated.

I sighed, and my smile vanished with the dream.


	29. Baths and Showers

Title: Baths and Showers

Summary: 1. A stressed Tohru is soaking in the tub. 2. A barely conscious Yuki decides to take a shower to wake himself up. 3. Tohru forgot to lock the door.

Rating: T (Just in case but nothing ecchi)

Genre: Romance/Humor

Word Count: 1,370

It was barely five in the morning. The sun had just started to creep past the horizon, and its first faint rays snuck through the windows, casting a dim glow to the otherwise dark Sohma house. The only sound came from the bathroom on the second floor: a faint hum, scattered splashes, and the quiet whisper of the girl in the tub talking to herself.

"I wonder what I should make for breakfast today? I didn't get a chance to go shopping this weekend with the big test yesterday, so we don't have too much to cook with. There's some leeks, and rice, and half a fish… That'll be enough for this morning. But I should go shopping after school. Maybe Yuki would like to come with- Wait! What am I saying? He has a student council meeting this morning… Hmm… But I have to go. There's just enough for a small breakfast. I hope Shigure-san doesn't mind ordering takeout for lunch. I really should have been more responsible though. I know! I'll cook his favorite meal for dinner tonight!"

Amidst her talking, she didn't hear the loud crash of another occupant of the Sohma house falling out of his bed or the thud when he ran into the wall, but she did hear his footsteps as he reached the bathroom door and the click from the doorknob as it gave way to his gentle twist and shove. Alarmed, she tensed as she backed herself against the tub and the ceramic tiles behind her, wrapping her arms tightly around herself as she scanned the room frantically for her clothes or at least a towel, but her uniform lay neatly folded on the edge of the countertop by the door, and her pajamas were already in the hamper on the other end of the bathroom. Her towel hung on the rod attached to the shower, just within reach, though. Smiling, she got up hurriedly and reached for the cream-colored towel, but before her fingers could grasp it, the door swung open, and she immediately dropped back into the tub, trying to hide behind the bubbles in the water.

"Shigure-san! This isn't funny!" she shrieked with her eyes squeezed shut and her trembling arms across her chest as she huddled in the corner of the tub.

Hearing no response, she cautiously opened one eye, then another. The pale tiles before her eyes calmed her a tiny bit, so she dared to glance over her shoulder. First she noticed the door was once again closed- locked this time though, she noted. Then she saw a second outfit, though sloppily folded, set half on top of hers, as if the person hadn't even noticed her uniform there. Her eyes moved along before she could recognize it as the boy's uniform, complementary to hers. Then she came across a crumpled, loose white pajama shirt strewn on top of the bathroom rug. Finally, she lifted her face and saw Yuki Sohma pulling off his pajama bottoms.

"Y-Yuki-kun! Wait! Don't- Hold on! I can get out in a second!" she screamed, once again whirling back to face the corner and squeezing her eyes shut.

Again, no reply, except for the sound of water sputtering out of the showerhead and the glass door sliding open and shut. Completely baffled and at a loss for what to do, Tohru hesitantly turned around once more. Matching wrinkled pajama pants had joined the top on the floor, and she could recognize the silver hair of her housemate through the foggy glass of the shower. Flushing the deepest red, Tohru nearly fainted, sinking lower and lower into the bath water. She steadied herself before her chin submerged, but she couldn't help wishing that she would sink down into the drain and disappear. She had never felt this mortified in her entire life! Her high school prince was showering a mere three steps from where she lay in the tub, bathing. Any other girl at school would die for such an opportunity, but it only tainted Tohru Honda's whole body scarlet.

"What do I do? What do I do? WhatdoIdo?" Tohru muttered to herself.

She snuck a glance back at her towel. She started to slide over to grab it, but then she realized he was facing her towel. If she moved any closer to it, he'd see her! He didn't quite look awake yet, so maybe he wouldn't know she had been here at all if she grabbed the towel and bolted out fast enough, but what could she tell with the glass fogged over so? Her clothes, however, still were close to the door, but she doubted she could dress quickly enough and leave before he became cognizant of her presence, and she didn't dare leave half naked- already she could hear Kyo shuffling around in his room and Shigure calling for her.

It was only five! Why were they all awake? Especially Yuki! Why did the day she forget to lock the door also happen to be the first day he managed to get up on time?

Whimpering to herself, she tried to rattle her brain for a solution, knowing she was seconds away from being totally scandalized. He had started to rinse the suds out of his hair already. Then the shower stopped. Tohru gasped. She had just wasted all her time panicking, and now she still was in the tub while he slid the shower door open and stepped out, reaching for his towel. She could feel her blush return, more fervent than before, as she tired to conceal behind the now dying bubbles and he slowly started to turn towards her.

"YUKI-KUN! DON'T!"

Unfortunately, her cry only seemed to make him whirl around faster. He didn't seem able to recognize her at first, simply staring blankly at her for a full minute, but then a blush overtook his face and his eyes shot open, wider than she had ever seen them before. He even jumped back and hit his head against the shower, though he didn't seem to feel anything.

"H-Honda-san! How-How did you get in here?!"

She had started to cry without fully understanding why, but she managed to weakly explain, "I-I was here first. I forgot to lock the door! And you didn't realize I was here! I didn't know how to leave without disturbing you, and now I've ruined everything!"

"I'm so sorry, Honda-san! I'll leave right now. Don't worry! I didn't see anything!" he told her hastily as he directed his gaze to the other side of the room and tried to rush out.

"Wait! Yuki-kun! Watch out for the-"

She couldn't finish her warning before his foot slipped on the leg of his own pajama bottom. He dropped his towel as he fell towards the tub, and Tohru cried out once again. She jumped up, either to get out of the way or to catch him. He couldn't figure out which, and she couldn't do much else before he crashed into her. A cloud of gray smoke exploded as she and a red-faced mouse fell back into the water.

The bang and the scream made the last two occupants of the house race to the bathroom. One decided to kick down the door, and the two found Tohru, seated ungracefully in the tub, wincing and rubbing the back of her head. The two did admittedly gawk for a moment. Then a fiery blush consumed the face of the orange-haired teenager, and he stepped out, muttering apologies, but the other, the dark-haired man, actually stepped over to her.

"Shi-Shigure-san?"

"Don't worry, Tohru-kun. I'm just getting a little rodent out of your way."

He grinned wryly at her and reached into the tub, pulling out the unconscious rat that had just floated to the surface. Carrying the rat out by his tail, Shigure shot her a wink before grabbing the top set of clothes and prancing out of the room.

Humiliated, Tohru slid down into the tub, wishing once more to get sucked down the drain, but a yell from downstairs soon prompted her to hurriedly get dressed to go rescue Yuki.

"YOU FOUND HIM WHERE?! WITH HER?! I AM GOING TO KILL HIM!"

**Because of Yuki's sleeping issues, I am sure something like this must have happened! Teehee c: **


	30. Can I Buy You a Drink?

Title: Can I Buy You a Drink?

Summary: AU Yuki meets Tohru at a bar, but he's having trouble working up the courage to approach her, and neither of them really seem to understand how the bar scene works.

Genre: Romance/Humor

Rating: T (For alcohol?)

Word Count: 1,670

She was sitting by the corner of the bar with her legs swinging idly since her feet couldn't quite reach the rung near the bottom of the stool. With both her elbows propped on the countertop, she absentmindedly stirred her pink drink with the small red straw. She was drinking one of those drinks that contained more juice than alcohol. It even had a strawberry slice and an orange umbrella on the side. She wore a simple white top with a short pink skirt- which he suspected she deemed a tad too short by the way she kept tugging on the edge. Her long mahogany hair hung down her back in loose curls. Everything seemed a little too much for her. She didn't seem too comfortable in this bar or even with the bit of makeup she wore.

He believed her two friends had dragged her along, but they left her alone. One—the one with long, wavy, dark hair, who had worn a black lacy outfit more fitting with a funeral than a bar—had left half an hour ago after receiving a phone call. He couldn't even guess what the call had been about. She hadn't even reacted—just left after briefly explaining and giving her friend a hug. Her other friend with the dyed-blonde hair had clearly had more to drink than she had had and was currently seated in a booth, slobbering over a drunk man.

She had snuck glances back at her blonde friend just as often as she peered down at her wristwatch. She seemed very eager to leave, but her friend seemed too distracted. By now, she had finished half of the pink drink, which meant a lot since she only seemed to take a sip every ten minutes. She had moved on to chewing on the strawberry and let out another sigh. He thought she seemed very lonely, even though several different men had tried to approach her. She always offered each of them a smile and seemed to talk to them cheerfully enough, but every one of them always made a sort of strange expression after a couple minutes and they would leave. He didn't know how to interpret their expressions. They contained disbelief, disappointment, and something like self-consciousness. She just seemed confused after each of them left, and he would just smile to himself. For some reason, each time a man would approach her, a burning rage would stir inside of him that would only quell when she was alone again.

He preferred her to be alone even though that seemed to sadden and discomfort her. Perhaps he didn't really want her to be alone, but he hadn't figured out how to approach her without ending up like those other men. He sympathized greatly with her. He was, after all, in a very similar situation, which included the flirtatious drunk guys—though those men left with a very different expression. His cousin had dragged him here but had spent the past two hours getting intimate with his girlfriend in a booth by her friend. The only difference between them was probably their drinks. He didn't dare order anything like hers—he had too many guys approach him already—even though hers probably tasted better than the golden liquid in his glass. Well, and she didn't seem to be creepily watching him.

Sighing, he swallowed another gulp of his drink, trying to build his resolve. He could either just sit here and watch her for another hour, and leave both of them sitting alone, or he could try to summon enough courage to force himself off his stool and take the ten steps required to reach her. He took two more gulps before he managed to clamor to his feet and then one more before he could take the first step forward. By the time he slid into the seat beside her, he had drained the glass. She didn't look up at first, too distracted playing with her straw, but she did turn towards him as soon as he cleared his throat.

She smiled at him but didn't say anything, so Yuki steeled himself to force the line Haru had taught him out of his mouth.

"Can I buy you a drink?" Then he held hid breath to await her response.

"Um… No, thank you!" she replied at first but seeing the disappointment cross his face, she explained, "I don't drink very much! And this will be more than enough for tonight!"

"I see…" he trailed off, still disappointed even though he could see that she did have a substantial amount of her drink remaining.

Noticing that she had hurt him, she quickly exclaimed, "But I can buy you a drink! Your glass is empty! What were you drinking? Or I could get you something else if you'd like!"

"Ah… No… that's really all right—"

"How about one like mine? It's really good! Trust me! Oh wait! Why would you trust me? You just met me! And I haven't done much to earn your trust or anything—"

"I'm sure it is very good—"

"Okay then! I'll get it for you!" she told him before she politely called over the bartender and ordered another drink.

So that's how Yuki Sohma wound up with a pink drink with a yellow umbrella decorated with printed tropical flowers, which the bartender slid over to him after tossing him a strange look. Not wanting to offend the woman he had intended to impress, he stiffly took the drink in his hand and took a sip, swallowed, and turned back towards her with a smile since she had been watching him expectantly the whole time.

"You're right. It tastes very good."

"I'm glad! But if you'd still prefer another drink, I can get that for you too! I got my paycheck today!" she remarked cheerfully.

He tried not to cringe at her words, forcing a smile instead while she continued to look at him obliviously. He decided to change the subject.

"What's your name?"

"Oh! It's Tohru! Tohru Honda! What's your name?"

"Yuki Sohma. It's nice to meet you, Honda-san."

"You too, Sohma-san!"

Her growing grin infused him with courage. Somehow, he managed to conjure up a conversation between them. He didn't have much experience with this 'small talk' business, and he wasn't quite sure he was talking about the right things or asking her appropriate questions, but she seemed more than ready to answer all his inquiries, and her continuous beaming quelled his fears that he was boring her or scaring her. So far, he learned that her favorite color was pink, that she had come with her two friends, 'Uo-chan' and 'Hana-chan', because Uo-chan had just broken up with her boyfriend, though Tohru insisted that this would only last a few days at the most, and was trying to enact some sort of revenge, that both her parents were dead, and that she loved strawberries. The last fact led him to tell her that he was currently growing some strawberries in his garden, which of course prompted him to promise to show her some time since she seemed so excited at the prospect of home-grown strawberries.

This 'small talking' seemed pretty intense to him. He just prayed that she couldn't tell how nervous he was, just sitting here and talking to her, but she hadn't stopped smiling at him yet. In fact, she had scooted closer to him, but perhaps that was because she couldn't hear his soft voice over the blasting dance music and loud chatter surrounding them. When he dared to gently lay his hand over hers that she had left resting on the bar top, though, she didn't pull away. Her cheeks actually flushed before she slowly laced their fingers together. Then he knew he had to do something to ensure he'd be able to hold this hand again, but it still took him three tries before he could find his voice.

"Honda-san, do you think you wouldn't mind giving me your number? You know so I can call you or something… so we can arrange a time or place for me to repay you for the… uh… drink?"

"Sure!" she readily agreed.

She looked around the counter before reaching for one of the square cocktail napkins stacked in a small bin before them. Scrounging around in her purse, she found a pen and scrawled her number and name on it. She slid it over and he took it just in time. Seconds after he had looked it over and pocketed it, her blonde friend slapped her hand down on the counter between them, shooting him a deathly glare that made the grin slide off his face.

"What do you want, punk?" she practically snarled at him.

"U-Uo-chan! Don't be mad! I was just buying him a drink!" Tohru explained frantically.

"What?"

"I just bought him a drink! And he was just offering to pay me back!"

Uo studied the pink drink in his hands for a while before she snuck him a suspicious glance. Then she grabbed Tohru's wrist and yanked her off the stool, breaking the hold of their clasped hands rather roughly. Despite Tohru's whimper of protest, Uo started dragging her out the bar.

"Forget it, Tohru. I'll give you the money. You shouldn't associate with creeps like him!"

"That's not what I meant by _repay_…" he trailed off.

Neither of them could possibly have heard him though. The blonde had started ranting about stalkers and rapists rather loudly as she ushered Tohru past the door, sending him accusatory glares over her shoulder all the while.

Well, at least he had two things to keep this from upsetting him too much. First, he still had her number. Second, he could hear her defending him and insisting that he was actually a good guy.

So smiling, he finished the pink drink and headed out the door before Uo could discover that Tohru had given him her number.

**Just some silly awkwardness because it's not fun just to write a serious/non-fluffy story! **


	31. High Heels

Title: High Heels

Summary: Yuki discovers the discomfort of women's shoes.

Genre: Romance

Rating: K+

Word Count: 1,425

**Dedicated to all the poor feet trapped in high heels. **

Tohru wobbled after Yuki as he eagerly tugged her across the room towards a middle-aged man conversing with an elderly man. She firmly held onto his hand, trying to force her feet to continue moving her forward, and she had to fight to keep the smile across her face. She just hoped she didn't wince when she stopped before the man, who stopped talking as soon as Yuki arrived. Tohru bowed politely as Yuki introduced her to the two with a big smile on his face.

They were at a small dinner party Yuki's boss was throwing in celebration of a successful contract their company had reached, and Yuki was exhibiting her like a treasure. She was flattered, really, that he was so proud to have her as his wife. Ayame had worked hard, after all, to make the long cream-colored silk gown she was wearing and had found her an elegant pair of matching shoes. Unfortunately, those shoes had four-inch heels, and they had been here for hours already. Her feet cried out to her every step she took. Her toes were jammed against the pointy tip of the shoe, and she teetered rather than walked after the first half hour. She had quickly progressed from daintily holding Yuki's hand to grasping desperately onto his arm.

Yuki was a loving husband. He cared about her and loved her. He treated her like a goddess. He probably would have torn those shoes off her feet and tossed them out the window if he knew how dreadfully they hurt her. Too bad he was rather oblivious about things like the pain of high heels. She bit her lip to keep from letting out a cry as they concluded greeting the two men and he began leading her towards a couple on the other side of the room. She knew he would never, but it felt as if he were purposefully torturing her by dragging her back and forth.

With her throbbing feet, she couldn't even enjoy the food Yuki brought her, even though he had presented her with all her favorite treats. She could only smile after she reached the car after the party ended and she managed to limp all the way out. Yuki helped her into the car as usual, but he seemed too distracted, telling her about how he was sure everyone at his work had loved her, to notice the pain she struggled to hide, but she didn't want him to worry. Besides, she'd have the hour drive as a respite before she'd have to attempt to stand again, so she just smiled at him the whole time.

When he stopped the car in their driveway, however, she discovered the hour had not sufficed to revive her feet. After he opened the door for her and she took his proffered hand, she stumbled when she tried to place weight on her right foot. She would have fallen had he not used his other hand to grasp her shoulder. Alarmed, he lowered her back into the car seat, and she didn't protest.

"Tohru, what's wrong?"

"Nothing… My feet just hurt," she meekly admitted.

He studied her scrunched up face and shaking hands for just a second before he slid his arms under her legs and behind her back, hoisting her up easily. She could only wrap her arms around his neck before he closed the car door with his foot and carried her inside the house. He quickly slipped off his shoes and kicked them into the corner before waking over to the living room and carefully setting her on the sofa. Kneeling down on the floor in front of her, he ever so gently slid both shoes off her feet and tossed them aside. He lifted her red and swollen feet onto his lap and practically glared at a blister forming on the side of her left foot.

"What happened, Tohru?"

Tohru shyly grabbed one of the throw pillows lying on the couch and hugged it tightly, afraid to look at him as she spoke, "Nothing… Those shoes just aren't the most comfortable."

Yuki seemed to think about this as he sat on the ground and cradled her feet. Peeking at him from the top of the pillow in her arms, she was about to slide her feet off his lap, but before she could, he hesitantly lifted one foot and gingerly rubbed it. Gasping, she nearly writhed with pleasure. She sank back into the sofa cushions with a content sigh, her eyes shut, and a wide grin across her face. Taking this as a good sign, he more confidently massaged her feet with half a smile. While Tohru silently allowed him to expertly restore her feet to normal, Yuki scrutinized the heels in the corner.

"Why do you wear those shoes if they hurt you?" he asked, peering at her quizzically.

"Because… You had a formal dinner party, and Ayame worked so hard to make this dress and find those shoes… And you looked at me like I was a princess…" she confessed in a whisper.

"I hope I treat you like a princess often enough that you don't feel the need to torture yourself like this."

"Mmmm… You always treat me like a princess, but I just feel special when you feel like you can show me off to everyone," Tohru said with a blush.

"Tohru, I'd show you off even if it were a pajama party."

"Oh Yuki… That's just what girls' shoes are like. It's nothing to worry about."

"But shoes shouldn't hurt you," Yuki protested.

"It's all right, Yuki-kun. Besides, if they weren't uncomfortable, I wouldn't get a foot massage, neh? Everything has a good and a bad side."

Yuki didn't seem satisfied with her answer, or so she deduced from how the wrinkles that marred his forehead still hadn't relaxed, but that didn't stop his hands from fondling her feet deftly, so she couldn't think very clearly. It made it quite difficult to try to figure out an effective way to assure him that the shoes probably weren't as bad as he suspected. The small furrow of his eyebrows and the downturn of his lower lip really did pain her, but sinking into the couch cushions with her feet caressed so lovingly, Tohru really felt as though her brain had disintegrated into mush.

"Don't they make comfortable shoes for girls?" he queried hesitantly, as if afraid to hear a denial.

"Of course they do!" She giggled.

"Then why don't you wear those instead?"

"They don't look as nice as high heels, and I really would hate to have wasted all of Ayame-san's hard work by wearing the wrong shoes!"

"I think those shoes look just fine. What's wrong with them?" Yuki asked, gesturing to a chunky pair of sneakers she usually wore to work.

"With this dress?" she asked with an expression of pure disbelief.

"Your dress touches the floor. No one would have seen them."

Her expression softened as she smiled at him. She slid her feet out of his hands and carefully set them on the ground with a small cringe. Yuki looked up with her and his eyebrows furrowed further with confusion. Tohru leaned forward and took his hands in hers. Seeing that he still looked at her with a frown, Tohru let out a soft sigh and shook her head with a small smile. Warily, she stepped off the couch, hiding a grimace at her throbbing toes and ignoring his alarmed expression, and seated herself on his lap. While he wrapped his arms around her waist, she pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Oh, Yuki… I love you, and I love that you care about me so much, but haven't you done something that's not exactly pleasant because it makes someone you care about very happy? Like how you always carry me into the house?"

"Tohru, you're not exactly the heaviest thing… and besides, how can something that hurts you like this make me happy?"

"Well… maybe it makes Ayame-san happy!"

"I should hope that you aren't placing Niisan's happiness before mine."

With that, Tohru's head dropped, and she knew she had lost.

By morning, they had gathered all the high heels Ayame had given her over the years into a large garbage bag and though Yuki was rather privy to the idea of taking the bag and repeatedly smashing it against Ayame's head, Tohru managed to convince him just to drop them off at a donation center a few blocks away.

**Because this is something I assume Yuki would be ignorant about. More cute and silly and sometimes serious oneshots should be coming your way c:  
**


	32. Kidnapped!

Title: Kidnapped!

Summary: There's blood, and Tohru's missing. Yuki can only conclude that she's been kidnapped, leaving Tohru embarrassed and her two friends amused. Featuring an adorably ignorant Yuki.  
Genre: Humor/Friendship/Romance

Rating: T

Word Count: 5,175

The student council meeting had run late. When Yuki Sohma finally stepped through the door of the old-fashioned house and weakly announced his presence to the empty room, it was already two hours past dinner time. His stomach rumbled as he sauntered up the dark stairs to his room to change out of his uniform. He hurriedly tossed his uniform on the floor and struggled into more casual clothes, ready to devour the plate of food Tohru always saved for him when he came home late, but before he climbed down the stairs, he decided to knock on the door beside his to greet the girl who had prepared the dinner for him, the girl he loved but didn't dare confess to, Tohru Honda.

He only meant to knock, really, but her door hadn't been shut, and he accidentally pushed it open with the first knock. Then he had meant to turn away as soon as he noticed his mistake, but the darkness of her room caught his attention. The white curtains glowed in the dark room with the moonlight seeping through the translucent fabric as they fluttered in the night breeze. The fall of the moonbeam on the light pink bed sheets revealed that only a large stain in the middle of the mattress occupied the space. He had meant to leave and search for Tohru, though he hadn't seen anyone outside or downstairs, but then his thoughts returned to the stain on her bed, and he flinched.

Tohru not only cooked for them, but she also kept their house spotless. She was neat; nothing was misplaced in her room. Everything sat in its rightful place, and everything seemed in order except for her bed with the suspicious stain and the blanket carelessly cast upon the floor.

Yuki stepped over to her bed and stared at the stain. It was dark, and in the moonlight, he could barely make out the color, but it had a red hue to it. He dared to touch the stain. It was warm and still wet. Staring at the discoloration it left on the tips of his fingers, Yuki's eyes widened. He brought them closer to his face for a better inspection, but it wasn't necessary. He knew what the stain was.

It was blood.

He took a deep breath to calm his reeling thoughts and shaking limbs as he studied her room a little closer. Then he noticed a drop of blood on the wooden planks by his feet. He had to fight to keep his heart from bursting from his chest when his eyes turned back to the open window. Starting to sweat, he jumped over to her window and stuck his head out, staring at the empty yard below in horror. Then he ran from her room.

"SHIGURE! Honda-san! Honda-san has been kidnapped! Hurry! Call the police!" he screamed.

Shigure slid his office door open, groggily appearing with his reading glasses still perched on the bridge of his nose as Yuki slid the backdoor open, but Shigure's hand on his shoulder kept Yuki from rushing out of the house. Shigure gently but firmly pulled Yuki back inside the house, and Yuki almost tossed Shigure over his shoulder for trying to stop him at such an urgent moment. Though Yuki grudgingly picked up his right foot and planted it back on the kitchen tiles, he still desperately wanted to push Shigure away and bolt out the door, and he barely managed to refrain from doing so. As if he suspected this, Shigure quickly released Yuki's shoulder to instead slide the backdoor shut and to place himself between the door and Yuki.

"Where are you going?" Shigure asked.

"Where do you think?! Honda-san has been kidnapped! I am going to go save her!" Yuki yelled impatiently.

"Hold on, Yuki. Are you sure? Let's examine the clues carefully before you go running out and embarrassing yourself again," Shigure urged.

"Examine what?! There's blood all over her bed and on the floor! And her window is open! We can't wait any longer! Some creep is taking her farther and farther away as I stand here trying to make you understand!"

"Yuki, let's just make sure."

Yuki was fuming, but he reluctantly followed Shigure back to Tohru's room. He stomped up the stairs with his fists clenched after Shigure, who seemed to walk at an agonizingly slow pace. The tight grip Yuki had around the railing was the only thing that kept him from shoving the older man to their destination. Yuki was afraid that by the time Shigure grasped the gravity of the situation, Tohru would be severely injured and beyond their reach. Luckily, Shigure got a hint of Yuki's tacit pleas and threats. Once they reached the top of the stairs, he walked quickly to her room and pushed open the ajar door. Flicking on the light, Shigure confirmed that the stain on Tohru's bed was indeed red.

"See?! Honda-san's hurt! And she's been kidnapped! You're just wasting time! Will you just go call the police already? Or do I have to do it myself?" Yuki practically growled.

"I'm going, I'm going," Shigure muttered as he slipped out of the room.

Yuki was about to follow him when a new form in the doorway made him halt. He instinctively pulled away from the woman in front of him while she stared at him with wide eyes. She dropped the neatly folded set of sheets and towel she had been holding in her arms, but both were too shocked at the other's presence to notice.

"Yuki-kun! What are you doing in here?"

"Honda-san! You're- You're still here? You're okay?!"

"Of course I'm okay! Why wouldn't I be?"

"You're not hurt?"

She shook her head, flabbergasted. Unable to quite look him in the eye and looking for something of a distraction, she was relieved to find the crumpled sheets on the ground. She quickly stooped down to pick up them and slowly folded them in attempt to hide her reddening face from his scrutinizing eyes. He was about to kneel down and help her pick up the bedding, but before he could even bend his knees, she had jumped up with the messy bundle crushed to her chest without bothering to finish folding them. With her face scrunched with some complex emotion he couldn't quite process, she inched around him into her room, seemingly trying to block the rest of her room off from him or to edge him out, while he watched her and grew more perplexed.

"But the blood on your bed…. What's that fro-"

She cut him off with a shriek and tossed her bundle into the air. Then she shoved him out of her room and slammed her door in his face. Bewildered, Yuki stared at the wooden barricade before jumping out of his stupor and knocking on the door.

"Honda-san! What's wrong? Are you sure you're okay? Did I do something wrong? Honda-san?!"

Despite the hours he spent knocking on her door, Tohru never opened her door or responded to his countless inquires about her wellbeing. He had to stop himself from breaking down her door on several occasions, and the only thing that stopped him from doing so was that she seemed healthy enough, judging from the vigor with which she had slammed her door shut. He spent the rest of the night searching for the set of keys they were supposed to have for all the rooms in the house, but those seemed to have gone missing. Yuki only let himself sleep for half an hour before he dared to knock on Tohru's door in the morning. To his surprise, her door wasn't even shut and had once again swung open at his first knock, but the excited flutters of his heart settled when he noticed the vacant room.

With a slight frown, he checked on her bed quickly, noticing she had spread a clean sheet over her bed. He felt a little better than he had last night but was still very confused about what had happened last night, so as he walked down the stairs in search of Tohru, he tried to think of a kind way to bring up the topic that wouldn't make her scream again. Yuki's sleepy brain really couldn't comprehend her actions. Tohru was comfortable talking about everything with him, but for some reason, something about this situation made her shut him out.

Unfortunately, all he found in the kitchen was a large platter of breakfast with a pile of three plates.

Almost as alarmed as he had been last night, Yuki quickly ate a bit of breakfast and hurried to school, determined to find her. He had circled the school three times before he found her by her locker. When their eyes met, she quickly lowered hers and looked ready to bolt, but before she could, he called out to her, so instead of fleeing, she swung her locker open and buried her head inside as she muttered an incoherent greeting to him. Before he could even get half of his question out though, she had darted away again, practically shoving him aside in her haste. He had tried to chase her, but she ran faster than he could ever imagine.

This happened repeatedly throughout the day whenever he tried to talk to her. Her cheeks would flare red and she'd quickly choke out some excuse that didn't make sense and run away as if he were some villain out to attack her.

At the end of the day, before he had even returned to the classroom from the student council room to retrieve his belongings, he had been told Tohru had left to go to work early today. By this point, he was exceedingly troubled by her behavior. Luckily, he managed to find Tohru's two best friends, Uo and Hana, lingering in the classroom, so he approached them a little hesitantly and told them in a raspy voice about what had happened last night. For some reason, they seemed more amused than worried as he told them the story. Even Hana was hiding a small smile by the time he finished.

"…So, Uotani-san, Hanajima-san, that's what happened. Has Honda-san said anything about it? Do you know what she's so mad at me? She won't even look at me anymore! She just turns red with anger and runs away. What did I do wrong? And is she hurt?"

Uo was fighting to keep her hysteria under control but she managed some semblance of seriousness as she spoke to him.

"Don't worry, Prince Charming. Tohru's fine. She's just on her period."

"Period?"

"Yeah! Don't tell me you don't know what a _period_ is?"

"Of course I know what a 'period' is! It's… a common form of punctuation. But what does that have to do with Honda-san bleeding?"

Uo stared at him dryly. All the mirth melted from her face, and her chin slipped off her palm, which she was using to prop up her face. Yuki swallowed nervously, feeling that he had somehow taken a wrong step or crossed the wrong line. He could only watch the pair, however, as they exchanged looks of incredulity, though Yuki could only detect the incredulity marked on Uo's face as she flicked her blond bangs from her face. He could only presume Hana felt shocked, though all she did was pull out a small bag of chips from her book bag and open it. He slunk back in his chair, a little perturbed by their scrutiny of him.

"Her period as in her _menstrual cycle._ You know where babies come from, don't you?"

He nodded uneasily at the deep arch of Uo's eyebrow as she continued to study him in disbelief.

"Tohru's a grown woman, you know. That's how a woman's body prepares for a baby every month. Gotta be prepared, you know?"

"B-baby?"

"I'm not saying she's pregnant. Don't look so jealous. I assure you she's still a virgin."

Yuki's blush reached his neck by this point, and he could only stutter out his reply, "I-I don't really understand. Why would _t-that_ make her bleed?"

After an hour long session over a health textbook Uo had found on the bookshelf in the back of the classroom, Yuki was staring at the pictures in the book with an expression of horror. Completely speechless, he could only blink at the graphic diagrams on the glossy pages in front of him before he dared to peek up at Uo and Hana. They watched him rather apathetically as his blush flared a little brighter. He hadn't stopped blushing since they had started their little lecture, and his ignorance had ceased to be amusing by the second page of the chapter on puberty, but they suffered through the awkward lesson to spare Tohru the humiliation, though Yuki seemed to be the only one who found the situation awkward. Uo and Hana seemed rather subdued as they alternated explanations and filled in each other's gaps. Uo lounged on top of the desk in front of him with her legs crossed and feet planted on a chair while Hana sat in the seat beside him, nonchalantly snacking on her bag of chips.

"How do you not know about this, Prince?"

"I went to an all-boys private school until high school! Why would I know about this? Who wants to know about this? This is awful! Honda-san has to go through this every month?"

"Yes. It is quite the tragedy for women."

Yuki shuddered and looked down to avoid the penetrating gaze of Hana that seemed to bore through him. Unfortunately, that meant examining the complex diagram of female reproductive parts, so he quickly slammed the tome shut and shoved it aside. He had to admit, as horrifying as this monthly ordeal sounded, it came as quite a relief to Yuki, paling in comparison to the horrid scenes of gore and macabre that his distressed brain had come up with in the past few hours. Yuki still couldn't quite grasp all the details of this biological phenomenon, but at least Tohru hadn't been hurt, though he still would prefer if the blood had come from someone else's body, preferably Shigure's.

After a moment, Yuki, still confused, asked, "So why is Honda-san mad at me?"

"She's not mad at you. She's embarrassed!"

"Embarrassed? Why would she be embarrassed if this happens to every woman? Are you sure this is why she's mad at me?"

"She doesn't want you to know when she has her period!"

"Why wouldn't she want me to know if t-this is so common?"

"Because it's embarrassing!"

"Arisa means Tohru would prefer to keep this kind of occurrence private."

"Okay…," Yuki muttered, trying to accept their responses. "So wouldn't Honda-san know that she has a p-_period_?"

"Of course!"

"Then why… did she… um… have it on her bed? That doesn't seem very practical. That's a lot of cleaning to do every time, isn't it…?"

"Prince Charming, I'm beginning to question your intelligence."

"Tohru probably forgot yesterday was the start. Women typically use certain products in these situations," Hana explained, ignoring Uo's previous comment.

Though he had his mouth opened already, Yuki stopped himself from asking about those products, afraid of another lengthy explanation involving more disturbing diagrams and such. He figured he had learned quite enough for the day. Besides, he was sure his skin was now ashen, and Uo seemed unable to contain her snickering any further, so he moved on to a more pressing issue.

"So what should I do to make her forgive me?"

"Eh. She'll get over it. Just go talk to her."

Though not sure what to make of such vague advice, Yuki nodded, afraid to trouble either of them any further, especially since Hana seemed to have finished all her snacks, judging from the pile of wrappers littered across her desk. He quickly thanked both of them before awkwardly bidding them farewell and walking out the classroom with his head bowed, unsure if he'd ever be able to look either in the eye again, or Tohru for that matter. Actually, he wasn't sure he'd be able to look at another female the same way again. As he walked down the school hallways, he could feel his whole face burn every time he passed by a girl. He didn't know how he could face Tohru later, let alone find the words to convince her to forgive him, so he decided to take the long route home.

Still unable to think of the perfect way to remedy the situation, Yuki decided he should stop by a store and pick up some certain products for Tohru to help her in her state. Too soon, he found himself idly walking through the store, trying to identify some of these products Hana mentioned, but he couldn't even begin to fathom what could possibly be used in this situation, so he tapped on the shoulder of the nearest employee, who had her back turned to him as she was stacking some cans on an empty shelf. She turned around a little too enthusiastically, so he started to regret even thinking this would be a good idea, but it was too late to turn around and scamper away. He had to persevere for Tohru's sake, so with his cheeks enflamed, he scrounged around his throat to find a wisp of his voice.

"Excuse me, ma'am. D-Do you happen to know what a _p-period_ is?" Yuki stuttered.

"Of course! Do you need some help?"

"Y-Yes. M-My friend, you see, is having her _period_… And I was… w-wondering what kind of p-products are used in… these situations…"

"Does she use tampons or pads?"

"T-tam-what?"

After his second embarrassing lesson of the day—the officious store clerk really hadn't needed to go into such a lengthy and detailed explanation about feminine hygiene products and to prattle for half an hour about the benefits and downsides to each brand in the aisle—Yuki found himself in the front of the store, more flushed than he had been all day, with a basketful of said feminine hygiene products, slowly lifting each out of the plastic basket dangling from his arm and setting them on the conveyer belt to let the cashier ring each one up. With the group of younger girls giggling behind him and the cashier hiding a smirk, those were the most painful five minutes of his life.

He had wanted to bolt out the store the whole while, but he kept his feet firmly planted before the cash register until he had paid and every last package was bagged. It was for Tohru, after all, and he'd do anything to make her forgive him, but as soon as the cashier placed the change in his hand, he stiffly walked out of the store as quickly as possible without drawing any more attention to himself or the large bag in his arms. Unfortunately, on the journey home, he discovered the plastic bag was not as opaque as he would have wished it, and giggles followed him home, but somehow, he managed to make it back.

As he expected, he found the living room and kitchen empty. While he had been making new discoveries about female biological processes, Tohru had finished cleaning and cooking. She had even served all the food and left little cards with each of their names written on one by the plates filled with food. Presuming this was all so she could avoid him, he sighed and walked out of the kitchen to clamor up the stairs with the large bag dangling from his arm. The thud of his feet landing on each step resonated in his ears, drowning out the staccato beats of his heart. When he reached her closed bedroom door, he was surprised he could hear the soft taps of his hesitant knocks.

Not hearing an immediate response, he called gently, "Honda-san? Are you here?"

He heard a muffled gasp and some faint shuffling as if she were trying to hide before he heard her squeak, "Y-Yes! C-Come in!"  
Wrenching her door open seemed to take an exorbitant amount of strength, and he could feel the bag slipping in his sweaty palms by the time he managed to crack the wooden structure open enough to step inside. He found her standing beside her desk with her face turned towards her fluffy pink slippers and her hands nervously wringing the edge of her pajama top. Her desk light was still on, illuminating the textbooks and papers spread across the table. He intended to apologize for disrupting her studies, but his throat was dry, and he could only manage half a croak. Both apprehensive, neither noticed the swatches of red reflected on the other's face.

Silence had stifled them until Yuki forced himself to choke out, "I'm sorry if I appeared rude or insensitive yesterday. I'm sorry if I embarrassed you. I didn't mean to… I was just worried. I thought someone had hurt you… but Uotani-san and Hanajima-san were kind enough to explain… so I am sorry."

At this, she finally looked up at him, and he thought he caught a wisp of a smile amongst the sea of red that had overtaken her face. Her eyes were wide with a bit of surprise, but he believed she looked mainly pleased, but that may have been a bit presumptuous of him. It may have been his nerves, but he couldn't seem to wait for her to say anything in response. The silence probably hadn't lasted as long as it had seemed to him at the time, but before he could stop himself, he had thrust the bag full of female hygienic products into her face. She actually had to take a step back to avoid a nose injury.

In humiliation, he could only exclaim as an explanation, "T-This is for you!"

She stared blankly at the bulging plastic bag hanging from his extended hands before she realized what he had gotten for her. With a brief giggle, she took the package into her arms. She was a little embarrassed that he felt the need to buy her such things, and it was a bit of a humiliating reminder of what had transpired the previous night, but she couldn't help but be touched at his desperation to reconcile with her. Seeing him standing before her, nervously rubbing the back of his neck and avoiding direct eye contact with her, made her heart flutter and her stomach twist, but he didn't seem to register her happiness.

"You see… I thought you didn't have enough of… um… these, so I… uh… bought some more for you!"

Tohru just smiled at him, hugging the bag in her arms happily.

After that night, everything returned to normal, or even better than normal. It may have just been hope clouding his interpretations, but he and Tohru seemed closer than ever. They spent more time with each other than before and not just at the secret base. Lately, she had been blushing at everything he said to her and she even let him hold her hand for no reason at all. He had almost managed to tell her how he felt about her. Twice. But each time, someone interrupted him. The first time, Shigure had with a whine about dinner, which made Tohru flutter away from him and into the kitchen to start cooking. The second, Kyo had marched in, challenging him for a fight, and he really hadn't held back that time. But he had been satisfied with the progression of their relationship and was rather quite happy until Haru visited.

Haru had marched into the house from the backdoor rather confidently, though judging from the state of his wrinkled and stained uniform, he had been wandering around for days. He didn't even bother to greet Yuki. Haru just smirked and tossed something at him, which Yuki reflexively caught.

"Since I've heard you've taken to buying all of Honda-san's feminine products for her, here," Haru said.

Yuki barely had a chance to look at what he had unfolded in his hands before he heard a familiar high-pitched shriek.

"Yuki-kun! What are you doing with that?!" Tohru cried, rushing over and tearing her underwear from his hands before rushing away, completely scandalized.

He hadn't even lowered his hands by the time she had vanished out of sight. She had disappeared in a red streak, leaving him standing there with his mouth agape. He felt all his slowly built-up progress had shattered in a matter of five seconds, and all he could do was glare at the snickering black-and-white haired teenager lounging against the kitchen counter.

"I never said I bought them. I just found them on the clothes line. Really, you should advise her not to hang her panties out in the open like that. A pervert may find them," Haru told Yuki with a wry smirk.

Exasperated, Yuki couldn't even speak to reply. He could only shake in fury. He couldn't even clench his fingers into fists. His fingers were limp, and he could barely even bend them. They were numb, and the tingles that raced through his fingers made them stiff and inflexible. At the realization at what he had just been holding in his hands, he couldn't fight the blush and mix of embarrassment and tinge of pleasure, so he hurriedly stalked upstairs to his room and slammed the door behind him. Unfortunately, he continued to hear chuckling for the next past hour, and once again, he did not see Tohru for the next twenty-four hours, so at the end of the school day, he found himself with his head bowed before Tohru's two friends again, trying to explain what had happened without giving them the wrong idea.

Luckily, instead of getting attacked by a lead pipe and electric waves, Yuki just had to bear the embarrassment and the heat in his cheeks as Uo roared with laughter and Hana studied him carefully while chewing on a cookie.

Trying to speak over Uo's snickering, he asked a little too loudly, "So, Hanajima-san, Uotani-san, how do I get Honda-san to forgive me this time?"

He held his breath at the complete silence that had settled as soon as he finished asking his question. Yuki felt frozen, bent over the school desk in the bowed position. He felt cramps raking across his back, but he didn't dare allow himself to raise his head until he heard a choked chortle escape Uo's throat. Looking up, he found Uo with a hand over her mouth to stifle her resurging hysteria while Hana watched ambivalently, as if she were deciding whether she should shock him with her waves after all or let herself smile a little, but Uo managed to quiet her mirth enough to speak before Hana could make up her mind.

"What color was it?"

"I-It? Color of what?" Yuki stuttered.

At his utterly clueless expression, Uo had to fight back another snort of laughter. Yuki wasn't sure if he wanted to hear her explanation, given that Hana also turned towards Uo with her cookie held midair and her head tilted to the side quizzically as well. Yuki was a little scared to keep looking at Uo because he knew that if Hana stopped eating, whatever it was must be really horrifying, but Uo either didn't notice or ignored his trepidation because she just hopped off the desk she had seated herself upon and clapped her hand around Yuki's shoulder, making him lurch forward with the force, and grinned.

"The color of her panties! Just get her a matching bra."

With that, Yuki began violently choking on nothing, coughing and sputtering while his face burned a deeper red than it had all day yesterday. He even suspected that his face had turned purple for a few minutes because he knew he didn't breathe for longer than what was probably healthy. Then he felt so lightheaded that he could barely stand up, let alone walk, but he had to force his feet to step forward and take his body out of the classroom because he could not look at her two friends after one of her friends put such an image in his head. That image, plus the image Haru had to put in his head yesterday with that _thing_ Haru dared to put in his hand, and the whole unspoken implications of her two friends' lesson the other day was making him explode.

He couldn't take it.

His lungs couldn't take it. He couldn't breathe properly.

His sweat glands couldn't take it. He was sweating uncontrollably.

His heart couldn't take it. His blood was inundating his face and he could feel his heart raging to burst through his chest.

Yuki Sohma couldn't take it.

He couldn't think as he started to walk down the hallway to the nearest exit. He wasn't sure whether he had said goodbye to Uo or Hana or not or even told them that he was leaving. A small part of his brain knew that was rude of him, but he couldn't make himself care now. He wasn't even sure if his fingers were wrapped around the handle of his book bag or if he had abandoned it on his desk. He wasn't even sure where he was or who he was. All he knew was that he had to keep his legs moving and move towards the red exit sign.

Meanwhile, still trying to stifle her guffawing, Uo moved towards the classroom window just in time to see Yuki pass by underneath, muttering to himself just loudly enough that she could catch every word if she just leaned halfway out the window, which she did.

"Well… buying _those things_ made her forgive me for _that_ so maybe…"

Hana moved towards the windows just in time to catch the last half of the sentence, but of course, she didn't need to even lean towards the window to hear. Though her face appeared rather apathetic, Hana was actually glaring when Uo pulled herself away from the window.

"What are we going to do if he actually listens, Arisa?"

"Tell Tohru to buy him a box of condoms," Uo answered, nonchalantly waving away Hana's concern.

"No, Arisa. I don't want grandchildren just yet."

"That's what Tohru's purchase will be for."

In response to Hana's glare that would have been visible to anyone, Uo just shrugged. "What? Tohru still doesn't think that writer is a pervert, so even if the Prince does go through with it, Tohru will probably just be glad to have new underwear. It'll get them together one way or another. You'll see."

Hana just continued to stare disapprovingly at Uo until Uo gave in with a sigh and made her way out of the classroom to go chase after the dazed prince who was still mumbling nonsense to himself as he wandered toward the school gates.

**What? A typical Yuki discovers what periods are and the Yukiru version of that scene with Manabe when Yuki is helping to clean Machi's apartment? Yes! I need some silliness when I am writing an ungoing non-fluffy story :c And because I have a growing affinity with awkward Yuki. Tell me what you think! **


End file.
